


The Mighty Ten

by stuffedcookie



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Action, Alternate Universe - Western, Angst, Bounty Hunters, Drama, F/F, F/M, Fantasy elements, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Mercenaries, Revenge, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-04
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:54:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 13
Words: 37,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24544180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stuffedcookie/pseuds/stuffedcookie
Summary: "Alright, what's the job?""The impossible."The GunslingerThe ApprenticeThe ProtectorThe AssassinThe BruteThe HealerThe HunterThe SwordsmanThe DemolitionistThe SharpshooterAll are different, all have their own stories to tell from different parts of the world. But all share a common enemy. An enemy that threatens to destroy the town of Garrag Mach. With their help, the town might stand a chance.... or fall to ashes.
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 6
Kudos: 57





	1. Hungry

Byleth and Leonie were hungry.

They had been traveling for four days in the wilderness, with nothing but rations and water to keep them sustained. It was a normal day for them, but some real food was always welcomed. They were heading for a sizable town named Hyrm to restock on their supplies. And since the sun was coming down, they would stay the night too. A comfortable bed was also welcomed. But food and a bed were not the only things they were after.

They were after a bounty as well.

Their target was the disowned son of House Gautier, Miklan. The Gautier Family had ruled a region of the northern country of Faerghus, which Miklan would have inherited if not for his violent behavior. That and he had been sited working with bandits across Faerghus His father felt he was unworthy and had given the position to his younger brother Sylvain. Afterward, Miklan had tried to murder his younger brother but failed and fled the country. Now he was rumored to be down south to the southern country of Adrestia and was hiding in Hyrm. Now Byleth and Leonie were just a mere hour away from the town, closing in on their target. If Byleth and Leonie had a nine to five job, this would be it. They had been bounty hunting for five years now and were starting to make a name for themselves.

"Hey, Byleth?" Said Leonie.

"Yes?" replied Byleth.

"Would it be alright if I take this one? Since you got to last time." One their last bounty hunt, Byleth had the honor of killing the leader of a bandit group terrorizing a small farm.

Byleth had a small smile but did not turn to face Leonie. "Perhaps. Depends if you can shoot him in time."

Leonie scoffed. "Please, I have been trained by the best, and I've been learning from you too."

"True. But your aim still needs work."

"It does not!"

"Are you sure?" Byleth turned in her saddle and smiled toward her.

Leonie was about to respond but then realized Byleth was teasing her. "Very funny."

They continued to trot in silence and soon came across Hyrm. It was big as far as towns went. A small Inn, a few taverns, a stable for travelers' horses. And multiple homes for the people who lived here. Byleth and Leonie trotted through town, observing the town, and seeing if Miklan was in the area. As they looked a few townsfolk glanced at them before going back to their daily life. But the ones that continued to look knew better. They noticed the weapons they carried, Byleth had two revolvers, one on each hip. She also carried a small dagger which was fastened next to her left revolver. Leonie had a smaller revolver on her belt, a Winchester Rifle with a strap, that way it hung off her back. And attached to her harness was a spear. Their horses also had a few scars and had heavy hooves made for combat.

They knew what they were, and they knew trouble was coming.

Byleth and Leonie ignored the glares some of the people gave and made their way to the tavern named "Muscle Mans Paradise." It was time for food. They tied their horse's ropes around a wooden pole and made their way in. The tavern was nice looking. Dark clean wood for the walls, chairs, and tables. It was spacious with a small area for dancing off to the left of the room. To the right was the bar with quite a few empty seats. It made sense given the fact that someone was on the piano and people were either sitting at a table and watching or off dancing themselves.

Byleth and Leonie walked in without too many people noticing, aside from a few glances. There were two men behind the bar making drinks. One, a very muscular man with curly blonde hair, his shirt buttons were ready to pop thanks to his muscular alone. He seemed to be very cheerful and outgoing. Byleth and Leonie noticed how he easily he spoke to customers as if it was second nature. He seemed nice. The other was a little shorter than the blonde. He had curly red hair, with a huge deep scar running down the middle of his face. He seemed to be mainly making drinks and did not speak to any customers at all. He even seemed angry and did not look happy to be doing his job.

Lennie leaned and whispered to Byleth; "He fits the description."

Byleth nodded.

They were going to cause a scene no matter what, but that was routine to them.

"What can I get ya?"

Byleth and Leonie both snapped back to reality and looked at who spoke, it was the blonde bartender.

"Whiskey please." Said Leonie.

"Same."

The blonde man poured them a glass each and went back to cleaning empty glasses. "So," he said as he worked. "What brings you guys here?"

Byleth and Leonie glanced before answering. "Were just looking for someone." Said Byleth.

"Really? Who would that be?" The blonde man seemed to be extremely positive.

"A man who attempted murder and has been on the run."

"Woah, serious stuff huh? What's he look like?"

"Well," Leonie chipped in while Byleth drank. "He has red hair, five foot, and has a huge scar running down his face. Seen anyone like that?"

While Leonie talked Byleth kept her eye on the red-haired man behind the counter. He seemed to be shaking as he poured drinks and she noticed how he started to sweat the more Leonie talked. Once Leonie finished the blonde man thought to himself. . . And then he shrugged.

"Nope never seen anyone like that."

"Hey Raphael, can you help me in the kitchen please?" Said a small green-haired man.

"Sure Ignatz, I'll be back in s sec' Steven."

The blonde man named Raphael left leaving the red-haired man "Steven" alone. The man was shaking even more.

Leonie noticed how the man was standing still, not moving at all. "Excuse me, sir," said a drunken customer. "I need a refill." The red-haired man did not respond, he only stood still.

"Miklan," said Byleth. Miklan turned his head slightly toward her. "Come quietly and we won't half to kill you."

He chuckled. "I'll kill you both." Miklan grabbed the cutting knife on the counter and turned quickly to face them. He thrust the blade toward Byleth, but she was fast enough to jump out of her seat, knocking over her stool. Leonie grabbed his hand and snapped his wrist. Miklan shrieked in pain and dropped the knife.

It got the attention of the customers and they soon started leaving the bar out of fear. Leonie was about to pull her small revolver out but before she could shoot Miklan grabbed her with his other hand and pulled her over the counter, smashing her into bottles of alcohol and shattering them as well as empty glasses.

Miklan ran over her and made a run for the door, slamming it open. He started running down the main street, holding his dislocated wrist hoping that he could run away in time.

He did not get far.

Everyone on the street heard a loud bang followed by a shout of pain from Miklan. He limped a few paces, stood still, and then fell face-first into the dirt. From the entrance of the bar, Byleth stood holding her revolver, its barrel smoking from where it fired.

She walked toward to the dead body of Miklan and grabbed him by his feet, dragging him back to her horse. Leonie stepped out of the bar rubbing her head.

"Sorry about that." She said.

"Its fine, next time just shoot. No point in grabbing him if you have a gun."

Leonie helped Byleth lift the now dead Miklan onto her horse, grabbed a few ropes, and fastened the corpse tightly. People around them just stared, they were scared but also relieved in away. Sure, they were bounty hunters, but they just killed a man who was wanted. And he somehow got a job as well, meaning he would have been living here in the town. A criminal in plain sight.

Soon Raphael stepped out. "Hey uh, I don't like being mean but, you guys got the money to pay for the damage."

Byleth looked a Raphael then looked at Miklan. He seemed to have a money pouch on him. She grabbed it and was rather heavy. She tossed it to Raphael who caught it. "The dead man can pay for it." She said without a hint of emotion.

Raphael opened it and looked at how much was in it. It surprisingly had mostly gold coins that would pay for the damages easily. "Yeah, this works." He smiled and then walked back inside as if nothing violent had accursed.

"What is going on here?"

Byleth and Leonie turned and were face to face with the sheriff of Hyrm. He wore a purple vest with a perfectly clean white shirt underneath, his sheriff badge glinting in the sunset. His pants were white as well, and he wore dark purple boots. Even his hair was purple. He seemed like the fashionable type.

"Bounty hunting," Byleth said bluntly.

"I can see that, but I'll need more details than just that. Who was he? What were his crimes?" the man demanded.

Leonie sighed, he seemed persistent. "He tried to murder his brother in Faerghus. Now he's here in Adrestia."

"Was," Byleth said coldly.

"I see..." the man in purple still was not convinced. "Do you have any documents to prove this?"

Byleth brought both a wanted poster of Miklan and a letter from the Gautier Family that gave their blessing go kill their son if need be. The man in purple looked it over thoroughly, once he finished, he gave it back.

"Well, good to see that we have bounty hunters that know how to do their job." Huffed the man. "Sheriff Lorenz, a pleasure to meet you."

Byleth and Leonie merely nodded. They still had not gotten any food and were practically starving now.

"Time, we got some grub." Said Leonie.

Byleth and Leonie made their way back into the bar, unaware of the white-haired woman and darkly dressed man looking at them from across the street.


	2. New Friends

The food the bar offered was delicious.

It was roasted chicken drenched in hot sauce and a side of caesar salad with mozzarella sprinkled on top. Food this good was worth the days traveling in the wilderness.

The people that fled the bar earlier slowly trickled back in, most keeping their distance from the two bounty hunters that were enjoying their meal. As they ate and the music from the pianist returned two individuals entered the bar.

One was a short woman with bright white hair. She wore a bright red jacket with a black shirt underneath. She had knee-high red boots that had steel toes on them, and she carried a revolver, although it was much bigger than the average revolver. With a much wider barrel, and the wood handle was painted red. The other individual was a tall dark figure of a man. His black hair covered his right eye and he wore nothing but black. Shirt, pants, shoes, all black. He carried a revolver on his hip as well (much smaller than his companion). On the other was a wavy knife tucked tightly to his belt in its sheath. And his pale skin was bright in contrast with his clothing. They both looked around the bar until they found the two bounty hunters they saw earlier. They walked by them and took their seat next to them at the bar and both ordered beer.

Raphael was behind the bar, with Miklan dead he was working extra hard the make sure everyone got their drinks. He saw the two strangers walk in and was now on edge. He already had to clean up a mess earlier, he did not want another. Byleth and Leonie were skeptical as well, they were armed, and they did not look like common thugs. Other bounty hunters perhaps?

A few minutes went by and nothing happened, people around the bar were starting to become tipsier so they were not as scared of Byleth and Leonie anymore. They both finished their food and were about to head to an inn when the white-haired woman spoke.

"You seem skilled." She said calmly.

Byleth stopped and looked at the woman. "And you looked armed. The bounty is ours."

The woman raised an eyebrow. "You think I'm a woman who would steal someone else's bounty?"

"Wouldn't be the first time I've dealt with people like that," Byleth said dryly.

The woman smiled and held her hand out. "Edelgard."

Byleth looked at her white-gloved hand and then shook it. "Byleth and this is Leonie."

"Hey there, and who are you?" Leonie nodded to the tall dark man.

"Hubert." He said quietly as he smiled devilishly. Leonie now had goosebumps.

"So," Byleth went back to her drink and tapped the glass. "What brings you to Hyrm?"

"We were just getting some supplies for ourselves, and some people." Said Edelgard before taking a sip of her beer.

"Ah, so you are bounty hunters." Said Leonie. Leonie noticed the dark man named Hubert smirk as she finished speaking

"No, just ordinary people from another town. We need help with something and are looking for anyone willing to take a job." Edelgard said firmly.

"Ordinary? I find that hard to believe with that cannon of yours." Byleth nodded her head to Edelgard's hip.

"It was a gift." She replied. "Are you willing to take the job?"

Byleth studied her for a moment. They needed to get Miklan back to Fargus to collect their bounty, especially since they had been traveling for a few weeks tracking him. But, taking another job would not hurt. She and Leonie always needed more money. _That and this woman looks cute._ Byleth thought.

She turned to Leonie. "What do you think?"

"Depends on the job, we half to get Miklan back to Fargus to collect the bounty."

"Were heading through Fargus territory. You could drop him off along the way and still take our job." Hubert said calmly, his devilish smirk still present.

Byleth thought to herself again. _Two birds, one stone_ she thought. "Alright, what's the job?"

"The impossible." Hubert chuckled.

"Hubert, please." Sighed Edelgard. "We have a town called Garreg Mach that's in trouble. A crime organization called Those that Slither in the Dark has been terrorizing us. We cannot do it on our own so we're looking for anyone willing to help. With a reward of course."

Byleth's eyes narrowed and Leonie tightened her grip on her glass. Edelgard took notice.

"Do you, know this group?"

"Oh, we know them alright." Said Leonie.

Hubert chuckled again. "Your angry tell's me you accept the offer."

Byleth nodded. "Will take it. First, we drop off the corpse of Miklan and then to this Garreg Mach."

"Then it's settled. Will head out after tomorrow then." Said Edelgard. "If you don't mind me asking, how do you know of this group?"

Byleth was silent before answering. "They took something me and Leonie loved, lets put it at that."

Edelgard nodded. "Fair enough."

* * *

The four newly acquainted travelers settled in the town's inn, all were well-rested and were off on their horses at sunrise. After breakfast of course. They took the same path that Byleth and Leonie had taken when tracking down Miklan, who was now hanging off Leonie's horse.

For the first hour of their long trackback to House Gautier, no one talked. They had all just met each other and no one had anything to say. Leonie and Hubert rode in the back while Byleth and Edelgard rode in front.

As they rode Byleth was keeping a close eye on them. She had met people before that she thought she could trust, only to be betrayed and left hurting. _I will not let that happen_ she thought. One thing that caught her eye was how Edelgard always seemed to be glancing toward her ever so often. When Byleth so much as leaning in her direction, Edelgard would look away. As if nothing happened. But Byleth was not blind and Edelgard was not subtle.

"Why do you do that?" Asked Byleth.

Edelgard looked confused. "I beg your pardon?"

"You glance at me every few seconds and when I notice you look away." Byleth turned towards her. "Why is that?"

Edelgard's face had a tinge of pink before she spoke. "I just... find you interesting."

"...Interesting?"

"Yes, I saw your exchange with the bar owner. You seem to speak as if you have no emotion."

"Maybe I don't," Byleth said dryly.

"Nonsense. Everyone has some emotion; some are simply better at hiding it."

Byleth gave her a curious expression and then back to riding in silence. She briefly looked over her shoulder to check on Leonie and saw she was trying her best to avoid eye contact with Hubert. He seemed to have a huge grin on his face. Byleth looked closer and noticed Leonie mouthing the words; Help me.

Byleth just smiled and went back to riding.

Soon nightfall was upon them and they found a small clearing next to a large mound of boulders. Byleth set up the spot for the fire while Edelgard looked for small bits of a dry bush to burn. Hubert helped her but he seemed more intent on making sure Edelgard was safe. Leonie meanwhile was out hunter for game, they had supplies, but it was always nice to have fresh meat rather than dried packaged meat. She soon returned and with two rabbits, her spear she carried covered at the tip with their blood. Byleth brought out a small cooking pot and started to cook up stew for the night, the delicious aroma of the vegetables and broth filled the air around them. The smell was so good it caused Edelgard's stomach to growl, she blushed out of embarrassment.

Byleth giggled softly. "Hungry?"

"Yes. It does smell good."

"My father taught me many ways of how to cook. Especially with rabbit stew."

"I can only assume he also taught you how to shoot as well."

Byleth smiled at the memory of her father. "I taught myself. And with the help of friends we met."

"Don't forget spears." Leonie chipped in. "He taught me how to use it up close and use it at a distance."

"That explains why you carry one around." Hubert said softly as he excepted a bowl of stew from Byleth "I must say I respect that you use traditional weapons."

"Traditional weapons?" Asked Leonie as she took her bowl from Byleth. Hubert took a spoonful before answering.

"Yes, traditional weapons. Anyone can use a revolver and winchester these days. But the weapons of old take skill to use properly."

"Is that why you carry that knife with you?"

"Knives."

Leonie was confused but Hubert then opened his jacket revealing twelve different shaped knives. He grinned at her shocked expression. "The one on my hip is my favorite." He took another spoonful of stew.

"Although you still carry a revolver in case things get dire." Said Edelgard as she took her bowl from Byleth.

Hubert grunted. "As much as I hate to admit, guns can prove to be useful at times."

Byleth poured herself a bowl and took a spoonful. She started to look up at the stars as she thought back on the memories of her father. Jerilt, the Blade Breaker. Before guns were public domain, people still used, as Hubert said, traditional weapons. And Jerilt was known for his skills with the spear and lance. When Byleth was born and started working with her father, he instilled great importance on how to use them. Both on foot and horseback. How to thrust forward without losing balance, to swing and tilt the weapon with grace, Byleth knew it all by heart... but when she saw a revolver, she knew it was love at first sight. They seemed to fit perfectly in her hands as if they were made for her. She loved the feeling of fighting from a distance and the triumphant feeling of when she hit her mark. The pullback they gave did not even bother her, it did not exist when she fired.

Jerilt did not quit understand nor liked the revolvers or winchesters. He felt they lack any real skill to use and felt there was no honor in using it to kill. Around the time Byleth was fourteen, she and Jerilt met Leonie in a small village in the country of Leicester. Leonie's parents had died in a raid from local bandits and had no one to turn too. So, Jerilt took her under her wing, and she was a little sister from another mother to Byleth. Not soon after they were training in combat and as the years passed Byleth and Leonie became the best mercenaries in Jerilt's mercenary group.

Those were happier times.

Byleth went back to eating her stew unaware of Edelgard, who took note in Byleth's daydreaming. Byleth looked sad and Edelgard wondered what she could be thinking. Although given at what she said at the bar, she had a good idea as to what she dreamed of.

Soon they finished their food and soon all of them went to sleep. Except for Byleth who was on watch. She had her hand on her revolver, ready for anything that might try and enter their camp. A few coyotes appeared, but they stayed a good distance from the camp and soon moved on. She even heard them howling from time to time. Byleth always felt jealous of animals. They seemed free of burden and simply lived in nature, no responsibility, no work, just living a free life.

No bad memories.

Byleth suddenly snapped back to reality when she saw a figure riding a horse upon a hill in the distance. They did not wear the same hat she nor anyone else wore. They seemed to have a long ponytail that went down to their hips. They had stopped moving, most likely taking note of the now small fire. Byleth gripped her gun, they didn't seem threatening, but you could never be too careful in this world. For a few minutes, the figure just stood there, Byleth was sure they were looking right at her and she wondered what their next move was. Soon, the rider trotted slowly away behind the hill.

"Hey." Said Leonie softly as to not spook Byleth.

Byleth slowly let go of her gun and turned toward Leonie. "Keep your eyes open on your watch. That rider might come back."

"Who do you think they were?"

"No clue, but they didn't wear a hat like us, might be a native." Byleth got up and walked past Leonie. "Alright, good night."

"Byleth..." Byleth stopped and looked at her. "While we were eating, you were thinking of him again weren't you."

Byleth was silent.

"You... wanna talk about-"

"No. I'll be fine. Good night."

Leonie didn't respond. It had been five years since Jerilt's death, and Byleth still did not want to talk about it.

Leonie stayed vigilant until morning, the mysterious rider never appeared again.


	3. The Wives of Remire

Each of the four riders packed up quickly and only ate small loaves of bread before riding out. Edelgard and Byleth were once again riding in front while Leonie and Hubert rode in the back. Byleth then told Edelgard and Hubert about the mysterious rider from last night and that they should keep their eyes peel for whoever they may be.

"Might be an agent of Those that Slither." Said Edelgard.

"Maybe, but I know that Those that Slither wear hats like us, this person didn't." Replied Byleth.

"Your very perceptive.... may I ask something?"

"Shoot."

"Was your father a well-known bounty hunter?"

Byleth was silent before speaking. "No, he was a mercenary. What about it?"

"He has a mercenary band correct. I'm asking because we could use some numbers if we are to defeat Those that Slither."

"No clue where they are now, me and Leonie left after..." Byleth went silent.

"After?"

"We left five years ago to do bounty hunting on our own. Simple as that."

Edelgard wanted to ask more about Byleth's father but did not pry. She knew a pained expression when she saw it.

"Is there anyone at Garreg Mach that can fight?"

Edelgard frowned. "Well... the mayor, Seteth, knows how to use a bolt action rifle. His daughter, Flayn, knows healing so she will be useful. And a few of the townsfolk have guns. But other than that..."

"We could train the townsfolk." Said Leonie from behind.

"That could work except we have no clue when Those that Slither in the Dark will strike." Said Hubert. "Also, the townsfolk are just that, townsfolk. Not warriors."

"We should still try. Something is better than nothing."

"Who's the sheriff at Garreg Mach?" Asked Byleth.

Edelgard let out a small sigh. "Ferdinand, he's rather full of himself though."

"Can he shoot?"

"Yes, he's skilled with revolvers."

"Good. Will need as many people for this job." Byleth turned in her saddle and looked far back in the distance. She was curious if the mysterious rider was nearby. "Will need as many fighters as we can get. Leonie, what towns are nearby?"

Leonie opened her bag and pulled out a map of the countries. She looked over it quickly trying to find towns close to them. "Well, right before we enter Fargus there's a small village named Remire, after that there's the mining town, Gaspard, after that will be at House Gautier. A day from there will take us to House Galatea, and a day from there is a town named Conand."

"Well, it's a start." Said Edelgard.

* * *

The two days of travel went by as uneventful as a desert could. A few rain clouds appeared but no rain came, it was as if the sky taunted the creatures of the desert. As they traveled more greenery became prevalent, the more west a person went in Adrestia the more vegetation one saw. Around noon on the second day, a small bandit group appeared to their left, but one devilish glare from Hubert was enough to scare them from doing anything. Edelgard was still giving Byleth the same curious glances every so often, Byleth noticed but did not say anything. What she also noticed was how Edelgard was also glancing at her legs…. Which were in tight pants.

Byleth now had a tinge of pink herself but ignored it.

Soon Remire Village came into view. It was a small village with a handful of houses, but nothing compared to Hyrm. The buildings themselves were not great looking either, some looked old while others looked as if they had been attacked. As they trotted into the village, they took note of the broken windows and burn marks over some of the buildings. They looked recent. Leonie noticed a man carrying wooden planks trotted near him.

"Excuse me," she said. The man looked up. "What happened here?"

The man frowned "Those that Slither happened." He grunted. "They came in, shooting their guns, throwing torches, breaking windows. We were lucky none of the buildings came burning down."

"Was anyone hurt?"

"Yes, unfortunately." He pointed with his free arm toward the cemetery. Two men were shoveling dirt into a grave. "One man, one woman, and her baby daughter. There being buried now. It's was awful." The man sniffed, doing his best to hold back tears "Anyway, I should get back to work." He walked away doing his best to compose himself.

"This is... terrible." Leonie looked around the village, everyone seemed beaten and worn out.

"This is what we're trying to prevent at Garreg Mach." Said Edelgard. "With each town and village they attack, the fear people have for them grows. It's sickening."

Edelgard seemed stern and cold as she spoke. Byleth could tell from her expression that she had witnessed these attacks sometime before. She wanted to know more but knew now was not a good time. They needed more fighters, and they did not have time to waste. They quickly split up, each talking to townsfolk if there were any willing fighters or gunmen among them would join their ranks at Garreg Mach. Most of the people did not seem interested in wanting to fight, especially after a recent attack on their town. They also asked if anyone was in town that seemed like a mercenary or bounty hunter willing to work with them. The only information they gathered was that two wives who lived just outside of town had been former mercenaries and that they might be inclined to take their offer.

"It's a long shot." Said Leonie as they trotted toward the house of the wives. "People told me there retired from taking jobs."

"If theirs a chance, will take it." Said Byleth as they turned a corner on the path they were following.

The house they were looking for was in the forest just outside of the town. Townsfolk had said the wives liked to keep to themselves and not be bothered by anyone. Soon the house came into view, it was a small cottage with open space all around it. Smoke came out from the chimney which indicated they were home. Once they had trotted into the opening the door to the cottage opened. A pink hair pony-tailed woman walked out. She wore brown pants with a belt that held a revolver and wore a white ripped up shirt which exposed her mid-drift.

"Hello there," the woman said cheerfully. "What can I do for you?" As she asked, she put her hand on her revolver while also putting weight on her left leg. The woman smiled but they all knew it was not genuine.

Byleth got down from her horse. "We heard you and your wife were former mercenaries."

"What of it?"

"Were looking for some people to join us for a job. We were wondering if you would be willing to take our offer."

The pink-haired woman puckered her lips up while thinking of what Byleth said. "I... don't know if we would be willing to." Her grip tightened around her revolver. Byleth noticed but kept quiet. Leonie noticed as well and was impressed with how even though this woman was outnumbered, she held her ground.

"Love, what's going on?" Said an unfamiliar voice. A blue-haired woman stepped out from the door.

"Its nothing just some people offering us a job." The woman stepped in front of the blue-haired woman, she seemed to narrow her eyes and place her feet firmly on the porch. She was ready to defend her wife it seemed as if the four unexpected guests were about to attack.

"We saw what happened in the village." Said Edelgard. "They've attacked our town Garreg Mach once, and they plan to do it again. That is why we're asking if you will join us. To prevent them from attacking ever again." Her voice had an air of confidence to it.

"Also, we are offering a high reward." Said Hubert.

"Um..." said the blue-haired woman. "Maybe we could discuss this over some tea." Everyone turned toward her. "I mean, we hate Those that Slither, and we do need money, but maybe if we could talk about the details, we might consider it."

Byleth looked back at the others, none of them opposed the idea of talking about the job. The pink-haired woman looked at her wife, then back at the four visitors.

"Okay, you all seem alright. " She took her hand of her revolver. "Sorry for acting mean, you can't trust everyone you see. Especially nowadays. Come in."

The wives walked back inside while the rest got off their horses and lead them to the stable beside the cottage. Byleth walked into the house and noticed that the window in the room was broken and boarded up with wooden planks. The pink hair woman walked out from the kitchen with mugs and a kettle, which smelt of mint tea.

"Names Hilda by the way. Yours?" She put the kettle and mugs on the table.

"Byleth, nice to meet you. I'm guessing Those that Slither did this?" She nodded toward the window.

"You guess correctly." Sighed Hilda

"How recent was the attack?" She says as she takes her seat on the couch.

"You missed it by a few hours. They struck at dawn, catching everyone off guard. Out sheriff blames himself for not being prepared. But there wasn't much he could've done." Hilda poured each mug a fair amount and as the rest of the group entered they took one and sat on the couches. Soon the blue-haired woman entered with her mug.

"My name is Marianne, it's a pleasure to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you both." Said Edelgard as she sipped some of her tea. "So, I'll get straight to it. Why won't you simply join us?"

"Well..." Hilda said as she looked at Marianne then back to Edelgard. "We've both done a lot of missions in just five to six years. We have seen so much we just... I don't know, we didn't want to see it anymore."

"You also got lazy." Said Marianne who she covered her mouth as she giggled.

"Hey, come on hun, I'm not that lazy." Hilda chuckled. "But seriously, we just wanted a simple life after so much violence. There's only so much you can take, you know?"

"Understandable." Said Edelgard.

"That and we rather like our home and where we are so... I'm sorry, we can't take your offer."

"You mentioned you needed money?" Asked Hubert. His usual creepy demeanor somewhat subsided.

"Yes, we do, to fix our home." Replied Marianne.

"How do you usually make ends meat? If you don't mind me asking."

Marianne looked at Hilda. Silently asking if it was okay to release that information. Hilda nodded. "We make medicines and sell them in town and once and while we mail them to other towns."

Hubert smiled. "Well, I can tell you right now that this job is going to pay for repairs on this cottage easily."

Hilda considered his offer but still wasn't convinced. "That's a nice offer, but I am sorry, we're done with fighting. And besides, there is always going to be violence in the world, no matter what you do."

They considered what she said. Hilda was right, even before Those that Slither in the Dark the world was still violent. And it would be violent afterward as well. But Edelgard had to try and convince her still.

"They will strike again you know." She said. Hilda and Marianne turned toward her "If we don't silence Those that Slither quickly, they will attack over and over. If we stop them you will not half to worry every night about an attack. Yes, there will always be violence, but it doesn't need to be this bad."

Everyone was silent. Byleth was impressed with her logic and it was nice knowing she was working with someone smart and confident. Edelgard's words were true, the world will always be violent but Those that Slither made it worse for everyone. No one knew why they attacked towns and villages, but it did not matter. They were not just a crime group, they did not have an end goal for money or land, they just killed without reason. That was Edelgard's point and Byleth liked how she made her stance.

Marianne and Hilda were silent as they looked at each other. They needed repairs on their cottage and needed money to do it. And they both knew Edelgard was right.

"If," said Marianne "we help, you're certain we will be paid to fix up our cottage?"

"Of course." Said Edelgard

Marianne smiled "Then, I guess we gave a deal."

Hilda sighed. "Three months into retirement and were already back into fighting."

"I'll get the horses ready. Can you fetch our supplies love?"

"Of course." Hilda got up and went get her and her wife's supplies.

"Would you like some help?" Asked Leonie.

"Oh sure, come with me." Leonie went with Hilda while the others went to prepare their horses.

Hilda led Leonie to her room, and they packed up a bag that would hold Hilda's spare clothes, spare revolver, and bullets. "We should probably get some extra food while we're at it since there's more of us now." Said Leonie.

"Just one more thing." Said Hilda. She then opened a cabinet that held weapons that made Leonie's jaw drop.

Inside were three different battle axes, two halberds to the left, and five different types of hand axes to the right. All hand a distinct look, ranging from sharp steel to silver and even prettier looking. One of the axes even had gems embedded into the blade of the axe. "That's... a lot of axes."

"Yeah, my family are proud mercenaries. My brother is one too so we kinda just, made them. Like, a lot." Hilda said.

"I think you and Hubert are going to get along."

Hilda grabbed her double-bladed axe and one of her hand axes and closed the cabinet. With Leonie's help, they brought out her things and wrapped them up on her horse. Marianne locked up the cottage and gave it one last look before getting on her horse Dorte. _Just one more job._ She thought. _One more._

They rode out of the small woods and back on the path toward Gaspard. Before leaving Remire they bought three tents which were design to keep the cold weather of Fargus at bay. Byleth and Leonie already had jackets for the cold as well, but not the rest of the group. So, they bought those well.

Afterward, their path to Fargus began.

* * *

A day had passed and the group of six riders made good time in their travel to Gaspard. The sky turned from bright blue to a mix of orange and purple and the shadows of tall trees stretched long and far. Ever so often Edelgard would glance toward Byleth, causing her face to turn pink and she would quickly ignore it as best as possible. A few discussions occurred here and there, the only real topic being discussed was between Hubert and Hilda, who talked about the weapons they loved. But for the most part, no one talked.

But, as they rode, Leonie's curiosity started to overwhelm her. She wanted to know more about Hilda and Marianne's past. How they got together, how they handled their lives as mercenaries. She needed to know. "Hey, Hilda, Marianne." They both turned to look at her. "If you don't mind me asking, how did you two meet?"

Hilda seemed to smile at the memory. "Well, isn't that a tale, isn't Marianne?"

Marianne's face turned red. "Y-Yes well, we met in a small town in the country of Leicester."

"Hilda, you mentioned you and your family were mercenaries, but what about you Marianne?"

"Well…"

* * *

_The small pub in a small town was busy as always on Saturday nights. Musicians played nonstop, Beer and whiskey were sold by the dozen, and there was no sign of the wave of customers from stopping._

_Especially when the Goneril mercenary group was in town._

_The group consisted of thirty-five members. All of which had their strengths and unique traits to offer to their group. However non compared to Hilda, the Axe Brute. She earned the title from wielding axes since she was seven and no matter the enemy, she was always a brute in combat. She had a revolver sure, but when up close, no one could stop her. Because of this, Hilda was always first to charge forward and kill anyone who needed to be dealt with._

_The group had just finished with a mission defending a small town from pirates and were offered free drinks from the local pub. As the group got more drunk with each drink, Hilda remained the soberest. She set off in the corner away from everyone else simply wanted to be alone. Being a brute in combat always tired her out. As she slowly drank from her large mug, she could not help but notice a blue-haired woman serving drinks. This woman also helped heal her comrades after the battle, so it was odd how now she was serving them. Hilda normally would not care except this woman helped them; she should be drinking not serving! And she looked miserable while doing it too._

_Hilda got up from her seat and walked up to the counter where the woman was serving. "Hey there, what's your name?" she kindly asked._

_The woman was silent for a moment. "M-Marianne Von Edmund." She said softly._

_"Names Hilda. Listen, why are you serving drinks? You helped heal my friends, you should be drinking too."_

_Marianne rubbed her arm awkwardly. "Well, healing is more of a hobby than a job for me. You needed more healers, so I had to help."_

_"Well, you should've gotten tonight off cause you helped us a lot." Hilda sipped from her mug and then put in down. "We could use someone like you. You were able to fix my brothers arm." Hilda nodded toward her brother from across the room, who's arm was wrapped up in bandages. "Your more skilled than you think."_

_Marianne smiled and blushed. "N-No I'm not that good."_

_"You ever work with mercenaries before? Travel much?" asked Hilda._

_"No, this is my first-time seeing mercenaries, and I've always dreamed of traveling." Her smile started to grow. She had always dreamed of seeing the world, helping people. It is all she ever wanted._

_Hilda took notice of the smile. "Then why don't you join us?"_

_"Pardon?"_

_"You could turn your hobby into a career as a healing mercenary! The pay is good, and you can help all those in need." Hilda proudly said._

_"That… does sound nice. And better than working here with- "_

_"Hey!" shouted a fat old man. "Get back to work."_

_"Y-Yes, sir!" Marianne quickly composed herself. "Sorry, I need to get back to work."_

_Hilda glared at the fat man before looking back at Marianne. "Well, I will be leaving tomorrow morning so, think quickly, okay?" Hilda gave her a wink causing Marianne's blush to turn redder._

_The next morning Hilda and her group began packing up and loading their wagons for the next mission they had taken. As they packed Hilda kept her eyes out for Marianne. This woman saved her brother's life and she felt she was wasting her talents serving in a pub. About half an hour later they were packed but Marianne was not in sight. Hilda sighed to herself. She was hoping that-_

_Hilda suddenly heard a constant thumping noise. She looked behind her and saw Marianne riding toward her group with what looked to be a packed bag._

_"Here for the job offer?" Hilda asked jokingly._

_Marianne smiled "Yes, I was wondering if you still need a healer."_

_"Why yes, indeed we do. Welcome, to the Goneril Mercenary Group!"_

* * *

"And from then on, we've been fighting alongside each other." Said Marianne.

"Well," said Leonie "glad you got out of that crapy job."

"So am I. Thanks to Hilda."

Hilda smiled at Marianne which made her blush, Hilda always seemed to have the ability to make her flustered.

"Hilda, is there a chance we could contact your family's group? We could use their support." Said Edelgard.

"Well, they're in Leicester right now so it will take them a while. But I can send a letter once we enter Gaspard."

"Wonderful. seems we might stand chance."

"That is if they can make it." Said Hubert.

"I'm sure they will. They love a good fight after all." Hilda said enthusiastically.

Byleth stayed silent during their conversation. She was more concerned about the mysterious rider from last night. She had this unnerving feeling that they were being watched as they rode toward Gaspard. She wanted to know why this rider was following them and what their goal was. She knew they could not have been with Those that Slither, but maybe they were a hired assassin? Only time would tell, and she hated that she had to wait to find out.

The sky began turning dark and with it, the cold weather of Fargus started to sweep over the country. It even began snowing a little with a few snowflakes gently falling from the sky. It was a clear sign to them all that had finally entered Fargus. Thankfully, the cold was not dreadful in the northern country and the jackets they now all wore did an excellent job at keeping the cold at bay as well. Fargus was considered among the three neighboring countries to be the "steam" country. The reason for this was because of the cold weather, it forced the people of Fargus to advance their technology faster to keep the people safe during harsh weather. Simply put, they were the first country to invent the furnace and even the first revolver.

Byleth made a small fire to keep the group of six warm. Leonie did not bother with hunting tonight and simply wanted to rest after riding for so long. The group now sat around the warm fire and ate some of the small rations they packed. Marianne laid next to Hilda with her head resting on her lap while the rest sat on their own. Hubert and Hilda got into the topic of axes and swords and were discussing which were better, but Byleth tuned it out. She had her eyes on the fire as her mind wandered. Edelgard quietly watched Byleth and wondered what could be going through her head, what thoughts she had as she stared into the fire. She also took note of how Byleth just looked… sullen. She looked as though she was reliving a part of her life she wishes she could forget. It made Edelgard sad seeing her associate look like this, and she wondered if there was a way to cheer her up and-

_Why am I thinking about this?_ She thought. _She is just a partner for a job, nothing more._

"Edelgard, are you okay?"

Edelgard snapped back to reality and saw that Byleth was looking at her. "Y-Yes, I'm fine. Why do you ask?" she said while her face turned red.

"You were staring at me," Byleth said bluntly. This got the attention of everyone else.

"I-I was not!"

"You kinda were." Said Leonie who had seen the way Edelgard looked at her.

"… Well, I was daydreaming, my apologies." Edelgard was now doing everything in her power to avoid looking at Byleth. The rest of the group merely shrugged it off and went back to what they were doing before.

About an hour later the group went to their respected tents for the night. The only one who stayed up was Leonie who took the first watch. She had her eyes peeled for that rider Byleth and her saw and wondered if they would make an appearance tonight. A few hours passed and the rider never made an appearance. It made Leonie uneasy, she had no clue if they were being followed by them or maybe this rider was just passing by and nothing more. A few more hours passed, and nothing happened. It would be Byleth's turn to take watch and Leonie was grateful for it. She started to yawn, and her eyes were becoming heavy.

It was a long night.

* * *

Byleth woke everyone up the next morning and within minutes the had packed their tents and were back on the path to Gaspard.

Byleth was aware of the mayor of Gaspard, Lonato. The man had been running the town as Mayor for twenty years and done a good job from what she has heard. She hoped he had troops to offer for their job, if he could not help then their next hope would be Gautier.

The group continued their travel for another day and soon found themselves going up a steep hill. The horses would manage but if they were to move so suddenly, they would cause the horses to fall and they as well. They took their time going up the steep hill and all seemed to be going well.

"Who's that?" asked Hilda.

The group all looked to where Hilda pointed, and they all saw the mysterious rider waiting at the top


	4. Gaspard

Faerghus may be a cold winter country all year round, but it had its beauty to offer. The tall pine trees and long grass covered in thin layers of snow made the large landscapes and canyons look beautiful. Small animals coming out from their burrows to look for food, deer are running about, wolves stalking them. It created an atmosphere that anyone could appreciate and admire.

Except right now.

Everyone stopped their horses the second they saw the rider ahead of them. The rider was female, she had a long ponytail that went down to her hips, with braided hair as well. Her clothing was not of the group of six, it was leather, and fur sowed together to make what seem to be a coat. It was the same with her pants as well; all they saw was the fur of a wolf. She also wore three necklaces' all of which were orange. She had an earring on each ear as well in the color of green. Her skin was tan coloured with what seems to be a tattoo under her right eye that looked like a quarter moon. The rider did not move nor speak and simply stood her ground, with a bow around her shoulder and a quiver of arrows. She also rode a black horse, with a large scar running done its face and across its left eye. This rider had seen battle.

The group all wondered what their move should be, fight? No, this person has not done anything. Turn around? That would be stupid, the way to Gaspard was this trek. Byleth made the first move and had her horse move forward a bit. "Stay here." She said to them. She trotted toward the rider carefully so her horse would trip on the steep hill.

Once she was close enough, she dismounted from her horse and stepped in front of the rider who stared at her with narrow eyes.

"You speak the common tongue?" Byleth asked.

"Some. I'm of Brigid Tribe." Byleth's eyebrows raised. Byleth and her Father had met with the tribe when Byleth was just 7 years old. They and their mercenary group had worked together in the past and while doing so Byleth and Jerilt learn to speak their language. It was another happy memory from happier times.

"Oh, you're from the Tribe of Brigid."

(The following conversation is in the language of Brigid.)

"Why are you following us?" asked Byleth.

The rider smiled "You speak Brigid… Imprecise." Her eyes were no longer narrow. "I heard a rumor that your taking in warriors for a mission. I was hoping to join."

"And so, you stalked us."

The rider seemed unfazed by Byleth's remark. "People of Brigid are not always welcomed."

Byleth nodded. "I understand that. But you stalking aside why would help us? Were defending Garreg Mach from Those that Slither in the Dark, I'm sure your heard o them."

"Yes, I'm aware of them. But that is why I want to join. To kill Those that Slither."

This got Byleth's attention "What of your tribe? Would they be willing to fight with us? We could use the manpower."

The rider looked away for a second. "The Tribe of Brigid is no more," she looked back to Byleth. "that is why I'm here."

Byleth's eyes went wide. The Tribe of Brigid was dead? They were one of the largest native tribes among the three countries and Those that Slither wiped them out? It suddenly made sense why this rider wanted to join. An entire culture wiped out and never to be seen again.

"So, you seek revenge."

"I seek justice."

Byleth respected this rider, for she was doing the same for her father. _Justice._ Thought Byleth. _Or lust for revenge?_

Byleth put on a fake smile that the rider thankfully did not see. "Welcome to the group." She waved her hand toward the others, who were all watching the exchange with interest. "I didn't get your name."

"Petra, glad to help." She smiled.

(The language is now back to the common tongue.)

"I'm Byleth." She then turned back and mounted back onto her horse. "She's with us now," Byleth called to the group.

The others moved forward to joined them, all of them had a curious look on their faces, wanting to know more about this rider.

"This is Petra, she heard about our mission to destroy Those that Slither, and so here she is."

Hubert chuckled. "I've heard many horror stories of your Tribe, are they true?" he asked.

Petra was confused. "Horror stories? I have had no knowing of these tales."

"Regardless," Edelgard glared at Hubert for is probing before continuing. "We are glad to have you. Byleth, did you by chance ask about her tribe joining as well?"

Byleth looked at Petra, who looked sad again, before speaking. "Yes, her tribe is dead, she's all that's left. That's why she joined us."

"So, just like you and Leonie. Fighting out of hatred for Those that Slither." Said Hubert.

"Well, it's nice meeting others who feel the same." Said Leonie. "Names Leonie by the way. This is Hubert, Edelgard, Hilda, and Marianne."

"Happy greetings… Wait no, I mean greetings. Sorry, I'm not great with common."

Byleth smiled, this time it was genuine. "That's all right. Glad to have you.'

* * *

The group of now seven riders now made their way to Gaspard, the sky was getting close to sundown and they would most likely get to Gaspard when nightfall was upon them. Byleth and Edelgard were riding at the front with Petra, Hubert, and Leonie in the middle and finally Hilda and Marianne at the back. The wives in the back seemed occupied with each other with the occasional giggle from Hilda and flustered Marianne. Hubert and Leonie got into a debate about spears and the blades they had. The three women at the front remained silent, each keeping their eyes ahead in case of trouble. That and it was nice to enjoy the lovely view Faerghus offered. Out of the corner of her eye, Byleth saw Petra shivering from the cold despite her fur coat.

"That coat not all that great?" asked Byleth.

Petra turned to her. "No, it is suitable. I am just not used to cold."

"How often have you been in Faerghus?" asked Edelgard.

"I've traveled into Faerghus a few times only year ago… wait, only… just a year ago."

"If you don't mind me asking, for what purpose?"

"Mainly hunting, deer are delicious. That and I know someone at Gaspard."

"Really?" said Byleth. "Can they fight?"

"He is great with bows, but I doubt he'll be willing to leave his town."

"Why's that?"

"Well, Those that Slither are running about, so he and his troops won't simply leave their town unprotected."

"We should ask if they'll rejoin regardless. No harm in asking." Said Edelgard.

The group continued their journey across Faerghus, two more days of traveling and soon they arrived at Gaspard, a small mining town for coal and the occasional gems. It wasn't the size of Garreg Mach, but it wasn't small like Remire either. The buildings were sturdy looking and, in the distance, just behind the town, the mines could be seen with multiple holes dug throughout the hillside. They made their way into the town; the townsfolk's eyes were on them. Most falling on Petra. The Brigid Tribe and the people of Faerghus had a very dark history. The people of Faerghus were not the most excepting of them when the country was founded. They found the ways of Brigid to be unholy and uncivilized, which caused numerous skirmishes to occur across the country. It was only until their new King Dimitri made it illegal to attack anyone of a different race or religious group. As long as they weren't hurting anyone. Most people obeyed the law, though most did not agree with it. Petra simply ignored their stares, keeping her head forward, and choosing to focus on the mission at hand. Byleth and Edelgard took notice and had much respect for Petra's strong determination.

They soon came to the Mayor's office and dismounted, Leonie and Marianne chose to stay and watch the horses. Hilda left to find a post office to deliver a letter to her mercenary group to see if they would join. The rest went inside. The office was well kept, clean, and had smooth white tiled floors and smooth wooden walls. They walked up to the front desk where a woman reading a book was sitting behind. Even when they all stood behind it the woman refused to acknowledge them.

"Excuse me." Said Edelgard.

The woman looked up, glared at Petra, and then went back to Edelgard. "Yes," she sighed.

"We request a meeting with your mayor. It's in regards to-"

"Mayor Lonato is not seeing anyone good day." The woman said plainly and went back to her book.

Edelgard remained calm, although inside she was annoyed. "I'm sorry, but this is urgent."

The woman looked up. " _He's busy."_ The woman hissed. "Get lost and take your filth with you." The woman nodded toward Petra.

"Is that necessary?" asked Byleth.

The woman turned toward Byleth, her annoyance was now very visible. "Listen here you-"

"Is there a problem?"

The woman's eyes suddenly went wide with fear as she turned toward the source of the voice. A short young man with silvery-grey hair entered the room. He wore a dark blue suit, blue tie, and white shirt underneath. He seemed rather mature for his young age and carried a voice of authority with him. The woman's mouth was a gap as she tried to come up with an excuse for her attitude. She found none.

"Ashe!" exclaimed Petra as she sprinted toward the man.

They both hugged each other tightly for much longer then they needed, the rest of the group assumed this must have been the friend Petra mentioned.

"It's so good to see you Petra! What has been six months?"

"About so yes!" Petra turned back toward the group. "Everyone, this is my good friend Ashe. I've have been knowing him for three years now."

"Nice to meet ya." Said Byleth who tipped her hat to him.

"Greetings," said Edelgard.

"A pleasure." Said Hubert with his devilish grin.

"I'd love to talk be we will do the catching up later." Said Petra as her smile beamed as she looked at Ashe. "We must be speaking with Lonato."

"Indeed," said Edelgard. "we are here on urgent business."

"I see, well luckily Lonato has time." Ashe then looked at the woman at the desk. "Which someone forgot." He said bluntly.

The woman sunk her head and went back to her book, trying her best to avoid eye contact.

The group was then led by Ashe with Petra by his side down the hall of the building to Lonato's office. Byleth took note of how close Petra walked beside Ashe, it seemed like she wanted to hold hands with him. Byleth smiled to herself, it was cute seeing love blossom between people. She wondered what it must be like to be in love or to have someone in love with her. In her life love was not something she put much thought into, she was always working much like Leonie and her late father Jerilt. So, a love life was never around for her to pursue or even experiment with. But then again, nothing was impossible. A small part of her was starting to think Edelgard was looking at her for more than just curiosity. She remembered when she caught sight of her looking at her legs, the thought still made her blush.

Soon they arrived at Lonato's office and entered as Ashe opened the doors. The room itself was fairly spacious, with two chairs in front of Lonato's desk and an elegantly designed carpet underneath. His desk was huge and well made, beautiful flowers carved into the sides and well polished.

Lonato looked up from his desk and saw the newcomers. "Guests? What a surprise." He said as he put down his paperwork.

"Everyone meets Lonato, mayor of Gaspard." Said Ashe.

"Greetings, my name is Edelgard. These are my partners Hubert and Byleth." They move nodded their heads as Edelgard spoke. "It is a pleasure to meet you."

"Same to you." He said. "So, what do you need of me? I assume it's something since Ashe let you in."

"Yes, we are in dire need of troops for a mission of ours."

Lonato's posture slightly changed. He was not expecting something involving his men. "Really." He said seriously.

"Yes, I'm sure you've heard of Those that Slither in the Dark."

Lonato grunted at the mention of them. "Yes, I've heard of them. They have tried attacking our town multiple times. We thankfully have enough troops to defend our town."

Edelgard's hope died. If he only had just enough to defend his town, their chances of getting more for their mission were slim. Still, she had to try.

"We are trying to silence them once and for all. I was wondering if you have any troops are gunslingers to spare."

"Well," he looked over at Ashe who had a sad look. "We unfortunately only have just enough to defend our town so, if we give you any, we'd be vulnerable."

"Not even a single person?"

"You could ask around town, but the likely hood is low." He said sadly. He wanted to help Edelgard and killing Those that Slither sounded gratifying. But he needed as many troops as possible to defend Gaspard.

"Could you be joining us Ashe?" asked Petra. She seemed to have some hopeful look in her eyes.

"I… can't just leave this town." He said softly. He seemed worried he had hurt Petra. "I work as an advisor for Gaspard now, so I can't leave."

Petra seemed sad but quickly composed herself. "I have an understanding." She said though Byleth could tell she was hoping he would join them. Even though she knew he could not join she still wanted him to.

"I'm sorry to disappoint." Said Lonato.

"No, I understand." Said Edelgard. "You want to make sure your town is safe, and you can't risk trying to protect ours by endangering yours."

"Are there certain places in Gaspard that could house mercenaries?" asked Hubert.

"You could try the bar, but we don't get mercenaries or bounty hunters much." Lonato thought himself. "Gautier might be able to help, but I've just received letters from the houses of Faerghus that there keeping their troops within their territories. I don't think you'll get much help there either."

"Well," said Byleth. "will still ask. Besides, we have a corpse to drop off there."

Lonato chuckled. "A bounty I presume?"

"Yup," Byleth said in that emotionless back in Hyrm when she killed Miklan.

"Will take our leave, thank you for at least hearing us out Mayor Lonato." Said Edelgard.

"I wish you luck in slaying Those that Slither in the Dark," Lonato said as he shook Edelgard's hand.

"Before you, all leave, might I offer you some rooms for the night?" asked Ashe. "It's nighttime now and I'm guessing you will need rooms for the night."

"Oh, you don't half to really. There's seven of us total so a night in the inn would be too much." Said Edelgard. She did not want to seem rude by having the advisor of Gaspard pay for their rooms.

"Oh no, I'm talking about the guest bedrooms we have. It's free and they're amazingly comfortable." Ashe then looked at Lonato who had a raised eyebrow. "As long as Lonato agrees." He said sheepishly.

"Your lucky I'm nice." He said with a laugh. "Yes, we some gusset bedrooms you can use. Free of charge. And we have enough for you all."

"Gee, thank you very much." Said Byleth. "I'll get the others then."

* * *

The group of seven settled in nicely to their rooms for the night. Leonie, Hilda, and Marianne were in one, while the others settled in another room. Hubert seemed occupied by a book he kept in his coat, while Edelgard was in restroom taking a bath. Byleth and Leonie did not always bathe when in inns. They cleaned up after missions sure but did not give it much thought since they would be dirty the next day. Still, it would be nice to take one. Byleth was laying down on her bed and let out a sigh. Edelgard seemed to be enjoying her bath since she had been in it for a while.

"Edelgard seems to take her time with bathing eh?" she asked Hubert.

Hubert snorted. "That she does."

"How long have you two known each other?"

Hubert closed his book and looked at Byleth. "I've known her since she was a child."

"Oh so, best friends since childhood?"

"Something like that. Her ma-" Hubert suddenly shut his mouth.

"What was that?" asked Byleth. Hubert almost said something important, but what?

"Nothing. I was merely saying that she's always taken long baths since we were kids."

"… Why would you know that?" Byleth's eyes narrowed.

Hubert was silent for a moment, Byleth could see the gears turning in his head. He was trying to come up with an excuse. He was hiding something.

He then smiled. "I just do."

"Alright." She said blankly. She turned away from Hubert, she knew he would not spill anything. "I'm bored, I'm going to see what Petra's up to."

Byleth got up from her bed and walked out of the room, leaving Hubert alone. She walked past the room with the other woman and heard them laughing about something Hilda did, Byleth ignored them. She kept walking until she found Ashe's room, the door was ajar, and she could hear voices coming from it. She was about to enter until she heard them spoke.

"-you're leaving soon..." said Ashe.

"Yes, I'm sorry. I would stay longer but…"

Byleth quietly peaked inside without making a sound. They were sitting on what Byleth assumed was his bed.

"I know you're doing this for revenge but-"

"Justice, for my tribe." Petra cut him of.

"Right, it's just…" he rubbed his arm nervously. "I don't want to lose you."

Petra was silent for a moment before speaking. "Ashe… do you have what they call… _feelings_ for someone?"

Ashe was now blushing. He gripped his arm tightly "Yes, for a while now. Which is why I'm worried for you when-"

Ashe's words were interrupted by Petra grabbing his face on both sides and kissing him. Ashe was taken aback at first but quickly eased into the feeling of Petra's lips. They then separated to breath; both were staring into each others' eyes as if they were in a trance.

"Ashe…" said Petra softly. "I'll be okay after this. I will come home and live a happy life, I promise." Petra then suddenly brought her hands down to Ashe's belt and began undoing it. Byleth immediately backed away from the door, she knew full well where this was leading. "But before I go, I am doing the thing I wanted for so long," Petra said with what could only be desire.

"W-Wait, you wanted to do this. For how long?" Ashe asked nervously

"Long enough to know that I am having feelings too." Byleth could hear Petra pin Ashe to his bed. "Now fuck me."

Byleth could hear their lips smacking and she knew she had to stop eavesdropping, she turned around to leave and was suddenly face to face with Edelgard. She was about to speak when they both heard Ashe moan loudly. Both women stared at each other with wide eyes and both, as quietly as possible, left the door the Ashe's room.

When they were far enough away Edelgard spoke. "Well, I wasn't expecting that…"

"Me neither, I was about to see what they were up to and…"

They both looked at each and chuckled. "Seems we were both bored."

"Well, you seem to be taking a long bath," Byleth said with a smirk.

Edelgard blushed out of embarrassment. "Sorry it's just, I _really_ enjoy a good bath. Especially when we're on the road."

They started to slowly walk back to their room as they talked. "Hey, no worries, everyone has their thing."

"And what's your thing?"

Byleth thought for a moment, she never really had a 'thing' since she mostly worked for most of her life. "Well, I guess my job." She smiled at the memories she had of herself, Leonie, and her father. All three of them and their crew of mercs on the road, killing bandits and thugs and enjoying what life had to offer. It made Byleth smile wider as she remembered those happier days. Edelgard saw the smile widen, and it made her smile. Ever since they have been traveling Byleth had this stoic look to her, her voice almost always had no emotion. And when it came to killing, she showed virtually none at all. So, seeing Byleth with a real, genuine smile made her heart flutter and-

"You're staring again." Said Byleth

Edelgard suddenly realized she had not responded to her and that they were back at their room. "Oh, sorry." She said as she entered their room. As she walked in Byleth took note of the nightgown she was wearing. It had a silky white color and it looked big on Edelgard's small figure. _It makes her look cute._ Thought Byleth. She then settled into her bed.

"Alright, g'night." Said Byleth as she put her hat over her face.

"Night." Said Edelgard and Hubert from their beds.

* * *

An hour had passed and Edelgard still did not feel tired. She kept thinking back to Byleth and when she met her. Her skill with her revolver and knowledge of the language of Brigid was amazing in her eyes. The way she carried herself as she walked or rode her horse. Her eyes were beautiful as they stared into the fire they had the other night. And her legs in those tight pants-

Edelgard shook her head.

_Just a partner! Just a partner!_ She yelled in her head. She could not start having feelings for her partner! Not when Garreg Mach needed her. Not when Those that Slither in the Dark were at large. She had to focus, to pay attention to the mission at hand.

She turned over on her bed and looked over at Byleth. She was on her side and her hat had fallen over the side of her head. It made her look cute. She slept peacefully as she slowly breathed in and out and the moon beaming through the window on her skin made her glow. Edelgard could not help but love the way she looked, and she was not even of noble birth. Just a simple mercenary on the road, taking any job she could find. It made her seem free of any burdens or responsibilities in life. Something Edelgard had never known what would feel like. But there could be time for romance later. Se turned back to face the ceiling and closed her eyes. Thoughts of saving Garreg Mach, stomping Those that Slither, and maybe even her lips on Byleth-

_Stop brain!_ She thought to herself.

* * *

Everyone woke up roughly around seven-thirty in the morning. The sun shined down on Gaspard and with it came the daytime miners ready to take the nighttime workers shifts. The group of seven were dressed and ate breakfast quickly, all of them were eager to get back on the road and get to Garreg Mach.

As they saddled up their horses Edelgard saw Petra and Ashe walking out of the building, hand in hand. She was not close enough to hear but she did not need to know what they said. It was clear from Ashe's expression that he was wishing her good luck and to stay safe. Petra gave him a kiss and was then walking to her horse and had it saddled in seconds.

"Seems you two are close." Said Edelgard with a grin.

Petra blushed and looked away to hide it, but it was clear she was smiling. "Yes, we are close."

The group of seven began their ride to House Gautier which would be about a day's travel. They were about to leave the town when Byleth noticed something in the distance. Just outside of the Northeast side of town was a large clearing that leads to a small patch of forest, the edge of the forest was dense with bushes and made it hard to see. But Byleth was clever enough to know where to look, she noticed how to bushes would move ever so slightly. It could have just been animals, but these movements were happening all along the tree line. Birds suddenly flew up from the forest and Byleth knew something was not right.

Right when Byleth was about to speak twelve men immerged from the tree line, each of them wielding revolvers and firing towards the group of seven riders. They had black clothes on with red lining at the edge of their clothes and their skin was a bluish pale color. These weren't just bandits; they were Those that Slither in the Dark.

"Spilt up!" yelled Byleth. If they stayed huddled close to each other they would be an easy target but if all of them were apart they would be more difficult to gun down.

Byleth pulled out her revolver and aimed it at one of the five gunmen as she rode on her horse. She easily shot him in the back, and he was dead in an instant. Suddenly more of them emerged from the tree line, there was fifteen more except they were on horses, which wore black like their clothing. _Shit._ Thought Byleth. She fired her gun twice and killed two riders, their bodies went limp on their horses as they rode away. Edelgard was being chased by two of the riders who was trying to shoot her down, Byleth did not even think twice, she was riding off in her direction to help her. But Edelgard was ready. She pulled out her large barreled revolver and fired. The pullet went toward the head of the rider and in less than a second their head exploded into pieces, leaving nothing but a headless rider whose body fell off their horse. The bullet did not stop there. It went past the headless rider and went straight into the neck of the rider behind the dead rider. A massive hole could be seen running threw their neck which gushed blood. The rider fell over and brought their horse down as well.

Edelgard did not need saving.

Hubert and Leonie held their own, they shot down one of the footmen and two of the riders. Petra meanwhile noticed how two of the riders were heading into town. She chased after them and nocked an arrow and drew back using her back muscles to draw it back to give it more force. She let the arrow loose and it hit home. The arrow went right threw one of the rider's throat, blood gushed out as the rider choked on their blood. They fell off their horse and were down in seconds. The second rider meanwhile was hauling and shooting at random people in the town. An old man who was just walking was shot in the chest and was dead before he hit the ground. Glass windows were being shattered by this rider who cheered as he did so. Petra nocked another arrow and let it loose quickly, the arrow went threw his back and split threw his flesh as it came out threw his chest. He fell as well and was dead before he hit the ground.

Back at the clearing Hilda was riding past her opponents wielding her double-bladed axe and was slicing them down left and right. Arms went flying as they gushed blood, heads came off, Hilda was a beast. Marianne stayed by her side, firing off the small revolver that she carried. She shot at one female rider who was charging toward Hilda wielding a sword, but she shot at her leg, but it did not slow down the rider's charge. Marianne thought Hilda was down for but right as the rider lifted their weapon to strike, Hilda Swung axe toward their torso. Cutting the vile woman clean, all that was left on the horse was the hips and legs of the rider.

Soon Those that Slither realized they were being slaughtered by these seven riders, and their numbers were now very thin. "Fall back!" the one rider shouted. The two remaining footmen did not get far, they were gunned down by Leonie's Winchester easily. The six remaining riders were now retreating into the forest, but only four made it. One was shot by Byleth while the other was killed by Hilda's hand axe that she threw, it hit directly into his spin and his world was dark instantly.

The four that survived would remember this battle.

The group of seven looked at each other in shock, all of them were catching their breath, the last thing they expected before leaving Gaspard was an attack. "We should help the townspeople out." Said Leonie. "We need to take care of the bodies." As Leonie mentioned bodies she suddenly realized that Miklan's corpse was not on her horse. She looked around and soon found him and tied him back on.

The rest of the morning consisted of burning the bodies of Those that Slither, everyone agreed that these 'people' did not deserve proper burials for their attack on Gaspard. The horses that that were left were taken to some of the stables in Gaspard to be given a better life. Lonato apologized for not responding to the attack as quickly as he should, but Edelgard said he should not worry. The attack was sudden and in the early morning so being unprepared for it was reasonable. Lonato made sure that for the far future that they would be prepared for an attack. The group of seven were now getting ready to leave, townsfolk were walking up to them and thanking them for protecting their town. Although, none of the thanked Petra, even after helping their town they still disliked her for her race. The only one who approached her was Ashe who looked horrified.

"P-Petra! Oh, Goddess, I am so sorry I was not there in time. Are you alright?" he asked hastily.

"I'm am fine, do not worry," Petra said reassuringly as she gave a tight hug.

"We will need to be careful when on the road." Said Hubert. "Who knows when they might strike."

"Agreed." said Edelgard "It's a good thing we were here when they attacked."

The group said their final goodbyes and soon left Gaspard to head toward House Gautier. Thanks to the attack they had lost time and would half to make up for it, but the chances of reaching House Gautier before nightfall seemed out the window. But she kept her hopes up. Who knows, they could meet others along the way.


	5. Almost There

After a day and a half, the group of seven riders finally made it to House Gautier as the sun was coming down. The Gautier Manor was huge, with tall walls, stain glass windows, and bricks used to build the structure were from fifty years ago, and yet they looked new. It was clear the Gautier Family kept their manor in check. Byleth and Leonie unsaddled from their horses walked up to the manor with Miklan's corpse. Their drop off and payment would be quick which would work in the long run since they would head for House Galatea next. They knocked on the door and one of the maids answered. They showed Miklan's body and the maid understood instantly. She told them to wait and then shut the door. And so, they waited.

Edelgard watched from a distance and saw what looked to be Miklan's father and younger brother. The father seemed unmoved by his eldest son's death, he seemed more disappointed than sad. She could understand why he tried to murder his brother after all. How could anyone forgive that? The younger brother Sylvain however, looked saddened by his brother's death, even after the attempted murder. Edelgard could not understand why he would feel sympathy for a killer, but she supposed there was more to it than that. After a few minutes, Byleth and Leonie returned to the group. "Is there a chance they'll help us?" asked Edelgard.

Byleth shook her head. "Lonato was right unfortunately, they aren't going to give up any of their troops."

"I see. Well, let's hope we find others along the way."

* * *

The group left House Gautier territory and made their way to Galatea territory. They only traveled a little way away from House Gautier manor before setting up camp for the night. The night was quiet, and they did not even bother with a fire. Hubert was on guard duty for the first half of the night, leaving Edelgard alone in the tent. Her body ached from the long trip, that and they had to ride faster since they wanted to get Byleth and Leonie's bounty dropped off. It felt good to lay down and rest, even if it was not a bed. She tried closing her eyes and letting sleep take her away, but she found it difficult given the fact that she heard moaning coming from the tent next to her. It was Hilda and Marianne's tent. Edelgard tried covering her ears but it did not work, at one point she heard one of them say 'shush' and the moaning thankfully subsided.

Edelgard let out a sigh. She was jealous of the relationship they had. She never had time for love life, she was always busy and on the run from her enemies, so love was never something she bothered with. Although she did secretly want a love life. To just live a peaceful life with someone and feel content, no more running away, no more enemies, just a simple good life. She remembered back in Adrestia when she met an opera singer named Dorothea and how they talked about their futures. Dorothea seemed to have hers figured out and from the rumors she had heard she was married now. _What does my future hold?_ She wondered. If she had a future to look forward to, it would be the town of Garreg Mach. Once it was finally safe, she could finally find peace and live that good life she wanted. _Maybe even with…_ her mind wondered if Byleth would stay at Garreg Mach after this was over. But Edelgard shook the thought away, she is a mercenary, and mercenaries do not stay for long.

Edelgard closed her eyes and dreamed of a happy life.

* * *

The group awoke the next morning and ate their rations quickly so they could travel again. They made it to House Galatea within just a day and were able to speak with the head of the house. Unfortunately, Ingrid, daughter of House Galatea, could not offer any assistance. She and her family were low on funds and troops and needed them to survive so there would not be any help from them. It was unfortunate but understandable, it was the same with Lord Lonato and House Gautier. They needed the troops they had to survive and with the fear of Those that Slither in the Dark they could not lose any manpower at all.

However, they did get some information from Ingrid, she had two friends that were mercenaries that were in the nearby town Conand that were looking or work. So, if they wanted help they could look there. And so, here they were, looking for the two individuals. The town was busy with the main cramped with shoppers, townsfolk, and other various kinds of people. Despite the crowd, people moved for the seven riders, though they glared at Petra. She ignored them. As they trotted through Conand they kept their eyes peeled for the two mercenaries. Ingrid described them both perfectly and from what she said they would stand out from the crowd. One was named Felix, he wore a thick blue coat and carried three swords on him, one on his back and the other two on his left hip. His hair was a dark blue and Ingrid also said to: "Look to see if he's grumpy." The other was a woman named Annette. She had bright orange hair and wore a blue and white coat and was said to always carry explosives. That and her bright smile could be seen from any distance, or so Ingrid said.

About twenty minutes passed with no luck, but when they asked around, they heard the two had been seen just outside of town. With this information, they made their way to the other side of town. Byleth took note of the same looks they were getting; it was just like in Hyrm. People were always on edge when dangerous people were around, at least these people are smart enough to notice. Soon they reached the edge of town and began looking for the two mercenaries. Off in the distance, there was a single pine tree lightly covered in snow just off the main road into town.

A large group of people could be seen, they were all looking at two individuals that stood a few feet from the tree. Away from the group was a short woman standing next to what they assumed was her two horses. She wore a white coloured coat with orange sleeves and wore dark blue pants. Her hair was orange as well which fit Ingrid's description. When the seven riders trotted closer, they could see what the two individuals were up two. There was a target nailed to the tree and the two men were throwing knives at it. One man was bulky looking, had brown hair, and looked angry. The other had a grumpy look, had dark blue hair, and wore a blue coat with thick fur on its edges. He also carried the three swords Ingrid mentioned.

The bulky man threw his knife at the target and a loud _thwack_ could be heard. The bulky man seemed proud of his throw and stepped aside and let the other man ready his knife. He threw it and another _thwack_ could be heard. A man walked out from the crowd and examined the knives on the target. He turned to the audience and said, "Felix wins."

Some of the people watching groaned and began exchanging money between each other. The dark blue-haired man named Felix walked up to them and took the gathered coins in a pouch he carried and then walked up to the orange-haired woman. The bulky man looked even angrier than before stormed up to Felix. "I demand a rematch!" he yelled.

Felix turned to look at him. "I won fairly, and you lost fairly, just accept it."

"How about we do it for real?" the bulky man snarled.

Felix raised a brow at him. He looked over at the orange-haired woman, silently asking for advice. She merely shrugged. "All right." Said Felix. "For real."

The two men went back to where they threw their knives, each stood far apart from each other. They each stood ready for the man from before to give the signal. The bulky man smirked as he stood ready while Felix remained calm as he flexed his hand, ready to grab his knife. The man shouted "GO!" and in quick succession, both men threw their knives. The bulky man missed Felix's head as his throw was clumsy and lacked proper training. In contrast, Felix was almost so fast that most of the audience did not even see him move. The knife entered the man's kneecap easily and the bulky man screamed in pain as he fell. Some of the audience presents winced as they say the man wallow in pain. Felix walked up to the screaming man and grabbed his leg while also grabbing his knife. "I missed on purpose." He said. Without mercy, Felix pulled the knife out causing the man to scream even more as he walked away cleaning the blade. People backed away from him as he walked over to the orange hair woman and saddled his horse.

Byleth was impressed by his skill and he was exactly what they needed for their mission. She looked at Edelgard who nodded, they both thought the same thing. They both trotted toward Felix and the orange-haired woman whom they both knew at this point was Annette.

"Excuse me." Said Byleth.

"What?" Felix said sharply.

"You are Felix and Annette correct? Ingrid told us about you. We heard you're looking for work."

Felix glared at Byleth. "Maybe we are. What job are you offering?"

"Have ya heard of a town called Garreg Mach? It needs people to protect it from Those that Slither in the Dark."

Felix was silent for a moment before speaking. "Fighting Those that Slither is quite the job."

"She told us you were good, as well as your partner." Said Edelgard.

Felix looked at Annette and then back to them. "It seems are reputation has been heard." He said sarcastically. He looked back at Annette. "What do you think?"

"Well," she said. "fighting Those that Slither is a tough job so how much are we being paid?"

"Each of you as well as everyone else will get one hundred thousand gold," Edelgard said firmly.

Felix nodded his head. "That's a high reward. So, were killing Those that Slither? And defending a town?"

"Pretty much." Said Byleth bluntly.

"I think we can do that," Annette said cheerfully.

"Welcome aboard then."

The group of now nine riders now made their way away from Conand Town and now headed toward Garreg Mach. Edelgard had hoped that maybe she could assemble an army along the way, but even she knew that was wishful thinking. If seven people were all she could find then so be it, better than nothing at least.

Along the way, Leonie's curiosity was bubbling inside her again. She was always the curious type and now with Felix and Annette in the group, she wanted to know their story. "Hey Felix, Annette," Leonie turned her saddle to face them. "How did you two meet?"

Felix grunted. "That's private."

"Oh, come on, we can tell them," Annette said cheerfully.

Felix turned to her. "We can't just spill our story to every person we've worked with you know."

Annette grinned at him. "Buuuuut it makes time go by while riding."

Felix smiled at her response. "True. But still, we just met these people."

"You don't half to if you don't want to." Said Leonie.

Felix thought to himself. It probably would not hurt, but he also did not want to tell this long story of him and Annette going back and forth and how both were stubborn at accepting the fact they loved each other. So, he decided to keep it short and simple.

"I'll keep it short." He said. "Me and her were once nobles of Faerghus, we had met each other when we attended a school for combat. A few years went by and that friendship became…" he looked at Annette. She smiled and giggled at the memory. "something more. Eventually, we did not like our noble lives. They felt cramped, controlling, and it was not the life neither of us wanted. So, we packed up and took up being mercenaries."

"So, your rogue nobles? Nice."

"In a way." chuckled Annette. "Felix's older brother is taking charge of their House and for me well, our land is being bought out so my family will be apart of another Houses territory soon."

"How as the mercenary life treated you?"

"Pretty good." Said Felix.

"And we ain't stopping anytime soon," Annette said in her cheerful voice.

Leonie nodded in agreement. "Mercs forever."

* * *

As the group of nine rode on the snow that covered Faerghus started to become less prevalent. The closer they got to Garreg Mach, the warming it was becoming. This was a blessing since it would mean they would not need their winter clothing anymore. Four days had passed, and the nine riders passed multiple small forests, beautiful valleys and passed through a few small villages along the way. They were making good time and thankfully had not run into any problems. This was most likely because the nine riders were armed to the teeth and gave the impression to everyone who saw them that they weren't to be messed with.

Except for two men.

As the group approached an entrance into the Misty Woods two armed men blocked their way. They both had grins on their faces as they stood, both with their hands on their hips. One had a red bandana on his head while the other had a bushy beard that covered half his chest. The nine riders all looked at one another with unimpressed faces. These two men seemed to think they could take them all on with simple revolvers. Overconfident much. The group stopped in front of them at about six feet apart and for about thirty seconds no one spoke. Byleth raised an eyebrow at them and they nodded in return. She then spoke. "You think you two can take us down? Two against nine?" The two men looked at each other and then back at Byleth.

"Oh, heavens no, we heard rumors of a woman looking for men for hire." He said with a very thick accent.

"I see," Byleth said calmly. She had to wonder if these two were just setting up a trap. "So, instead of saying hello you two thought it'd be best to block our path?"

"Well, we thought we needed to get your attention somehow."

"What are your names?"

"My name is Jacky." Said the one with the red bandanna. "And this is Chucky. You can call us the Brit Brothers"

"The 'Brit Brothers'" said Hubert flatly.

"That's right, we gonna be famous for our work someday." Said Chucky with a grin

Byleth would normally introduce herself but something about these two felt wrong. The whole group felt these two were incompetent. "Well, where are your horses?"

"We go on foot." Said Jacky

_These two are idiots._ Thought Byleth. They were not a threat; they were just dumb people trying to be mercenaries despite not having horses or any sense of how to greet others.

"Well, we're not giving you any rides." Said Leonie from behind Byleth.

"Oh, we're fine just wa- "

A sudden loud gunshot could be heard from within the woods and whatever Jacky was about to say was cut off as he fell forward the instant the bullet entered his gut. He grunted a bit but not before going silent and unmoving as blood soaked the dirt road. His brother Chucky turned toward the woods and pulled out his revolver and aimed. He could not see who fired it but aimed regardless. The confident and welcoming demeanor the man had was now gone, all that remained on his face was fear. Everyone else grabbed their weapons and looked in the same direction as Chucky to see who fired. But the bushes and thick trees prevented them from seeing anyone. A second shot was heard and Chucky was sent backward as a bullet entered his head. A small hole could be seen on his forward and his eyes were wide open.

"Well, seems the Brit Brothers won't be well known after all." Said Hubert darkly.

After a few seconds, the group saw a figure emerge from the woods. It was a woman with a hooded cowl, she wore leather armor and leather pants. She was armed with a sniper rifle, a weapon not very well known among the three countries, most people preferred the quick shooting of revolvers and Winchesters. A sniper rifle required patience and most who used a gun did not have it. Soon she stood over the two corpses and then looked at the group. Her face was still hidden under her cowl.

_She seems skilled._ Thought Leonie.

"And who might you be?" said Edelgard.

"Names Shamir, and I just saved your life." She said in a flat tone.

Edelgard was puzzled. "Saved us?"

"Yes. These two are known serial killers in Leicester. They ran from there and made their way here in Faerghus. They like to join a small group of people, drug them, and then kill them in their sleep." Shamir said all of this as if it were another day at work. "If you don't believe me, I've got papers." She then pulled out a piece of paper with detailed faces of both men and handed it to Edelgard.

She took the paper carefully from Shamir and read it. It as true, they were guilty of multiple murders and were wanted. "Well, thank you for your assistance." Everyone in the group put their weapons away now knowing this woman saved them.

"Glad to help." Shamir then whistled and a brown horse emerged from the woods with a saddle. "Now to drop these bodies off to the nearest town." She said as she strapped the bodies on to her horse.

"Hey." Said Leonie rather briskly. She sounded as though something was on her mind. "Are you looking for more work?"

Shamir turned toward her. "Maybe. What's the job?"

"You've heard of Those that Slither right?"

"I have."

"Well, were defending a town called Garreg Mach and these bad guys want to destroy, so we're planning on taking them down once and for all while saving this town. That's the gist of it."

Byleth smiled to herself. She was proud of Leonie's skill to talk confidently and she was making good use of it. Shamir looked down for a moment and seemed to be thinking. She then looked back up. "Is that why there's a bunch of you traveling?'

They all nodded.

"Well, I just finished my job here… Meh, why not." Shamir then saddled her horse with the two corpses.

Everyone was a little surprised at her sudden agreement, but she was a mercenary like most of them, so it made sense. If it were a job, she would take it. Simple as that.

The group of now ten riders made their way through the Misty Woods. The woods were thick with big trees and large bushes, causing little sunlight to shine down upon their path. They heard the occasional wolf howl, but none appeared while they traveled. Leonie, as usual, wanted to know Shamir's story. But something kept her from asking, the woman never took her cowl off and her demeanor and tone from earlier showed that she was not the talkative type. Hubert was also curious about Shamir. To him, she seemed the type who would change sides if the other offered a higher reward which put him on edge. His duty was to protect Edelgard at all costs, so if Shamir could be a threat, he had to be ready.

Shamir took notice of his glaring but chose to ignore it.

* * *

The group of now ten riders made their way to Garreg Mach. A gunslinger and her apprentice, a town protector and her assassin, a brute and her healer wife, a hunter, a swordsman with his dynamite girlfriend, and finally, a sharpshooter. All except for Edelgard and Hubert, they were mercenaries or bounty hunter types. Under any other job offer, this would just be another job. But this one involved Those that Slither in the Dark. A crime organisation that they all hate for one reason or another. They ruined and killed the lives of so many and have put the people of all three countries into a state of fear. But hopefully, that would be a thing of the past, there are only ten of them but rumors of Edelgard recruiting people seemed to be spreading and maybe others would join.

After a few hours of traveling through the Misty Woods, they had arrived at Garreg Mach, its many buildings built with strong stone and wood could be seen from the edge of the woods. Its people could be seen doing their daily work and the sun shined down brightly on the town. It was a beautiful and peaceful site, it almost made them forget that a criminal group was planning to strike.

Almost.

"Everyone," said Edelgard. "welcome to Garreg Mach."


	6. Welcome to Garreg Mach

The group of ten riders trotted their way toward Garreg Mach. The town was peaceful, beautiful, and impressive. Some of the buildings were built years ago and had an ancient look and feel to them, particularly the large church Byleth could see. It seemed to be centered in the town. Garreg Mach was a unique town in that, it was made in between the three neighboring countries. No one alive knows when the town was founded, but since it was the center of the three countries it was considered a "Neutral Territory." Meaning that none of the three governments ruling their nation could interfere with what the town did.

As the group entered the town, the folks walking by them greeted Edelgard and said they were happy to see her back. She seemed popular among the townsfolk. After these people said their hello's to Edelgard they looked curiously toward the rest of the group. Some seemed disappointed that this was all she could find to save Garreg Mach and a few seemed scared of the newcomers. Unlike in Faerghus, the people of Garreg Mach did not glare at Petra as she trotted with the group, they were more accepting people.

The group eventually stopped in front of a large building which Byleth assumed was the mayor's office. "Byleth come with me. The rest of you stay, will talk to Seteth. He will come out and greet you all once we've finished discussing our next move."

Byleth and Edelgard unsaddled from their horses and made their way into the mayor's office. The office was clean looking and well organized. A red carpet that led to the front desk where a man was filing paperwork. He waved to them as they passed by and went upstairs.

"How long have you been at Garreg Mach?" asked Byleth.

"For about five years now." She said.

Byleth thought back to how Hubert almost said something back at Lonato's home. Maybe Edelgard would say something. "Where were you before?"

Edelgard was silent for a moment before answering. "Me and Hubert grew up in Enbarr together, spent most of my life there before coming here for a new life." She said firmly. Byleth realized she might have struck a nerve. She would remember this for later.

They reached the door to Seteth's office and Edelgard gave it a knock. "Come in," said Seteth. They entered the room and saw him behind his large desk, stacks of paperwork took up most of the space and a glass of what looked to be vodka was next to him. The room itself was nice though, clean red-carpet floor, a big window behind his desk, and a large bookshelf on the left side of the room.

"Edelgard," Seteth said cheerfully. "It's good to see you again. I'm guessing Hubert looked after you?"

Edelgard let out a small chuckle. "Yes, he did. I would like you to met Byleth, she'll be helping us in a mission to defend Garreg Mach."

Byleth offered her hand. "Pleasure to meet ya."

Seteth shook it firmly. "The pleasure is all mine, I'm glad we finally have a chance to fight Those that Slither in the Dark. How many of there are you?" Seteth had a big smile on his face as he spoke. He seemed to think that Edelgard had acquired a large force to fight. It was going to hurt to bring the news to him.

"Well," said Edelgard. "Not many people we talked to were willing to join, except for the eight people, including Byleth."

Seteth's smile vanished and was replaced by sadness. "Oh… so… were still outnumbered."

"Hilda said her mercenary group might come, but we don't know when." Said Byleth.

"Our new ally Leonie suggested we train the townsfolk to fight since were low in numbers. What do you think?" asked Edelgard.

"I don't know, the townsfolk were hoping _not_ to do the fighting. They might object to the idea." Seteth then walked back to his desk and took a long sip of his vodka.

"Won't know till we ask." Said Byleth.

"Fair enough, I guess my expectations were too high. I'd like to meet these other people you've- "

"Edelgard!" said a girl from behind. Edelgard and Byleth turned around and both saw a short green-haired woman.

"Flayn, it's so good to see you." Said Edelgard as she hugged the young green-haired woman. "Flayn, Byleth, she will be helping us in our mission."

"Nice to meet ya." Said Byleth.

"It is a pleasure. I'm am very glad you and some others are here to help."

"And help they shall." Said Seteth. "Let's go meet the others."

"Of course."

Edelgard and Byleth led Seteth outside to meet the rest of the group. When they got outside Seteth stood from the top of the steps and looked over the seven other people Edelgard acquired. Seteth thought they looked tough and skilled enough, each of them carried weapons of different sorts, from Leonie's spear and Felix's sword, or Annette's bombs and Shamir's sniper rifle. It gave him some hope, but he still had doubts.

"Which one of you is Hilda?" he asked.

"That's me!" Hilda said cheerfully.

"I was told you have a mercenary band, how long do think it will take them to get here?"

"Well, therein Leicester right now but there always traveling so my letter from Gaspard won't reach them for a while."

Seteth frowned. "Who's Leonie here?"

"That would be me," Leonie said as she raised her hand.

"I was told you were the one who thought of training the townsfolk."

"Yeah, it's either that or it's us against an army."

"I agree, I think that would be a good first step toward protecting this town." He then looked at Edelgard. "Do you think you and your group could spread the word that will be having a town meeting at the church? The meeting will begin in an hour."

"Absolutely. Will let everyone know."

For the next several minutes the group of ten went from person to person letting them know about the town meeting. Some asked but they simply said that it would be best if they just showed up. After an hour passed almost everyone in town arrived at the church. Everyone in the church was simple people, farmers, shop keepers, and bartenders. Everyone was curious as to what their mayor was going to say, what news he would bring to them regarding Those that Slither. The group sat together at the front while they waited for Seteth to enter. When he did everyone was bombarding him with questions and why he asked for a town meeting. He told them he would answer all of them when he spoke. He made his way to the stage of the room, took a deep breath, and spoke.

"Hello everyone, I'm glad you all came on such short notice." He said.

"What's this about?" said one man.

"Are we saved?' said a woman.

"Yes and no," said Seteth. "We have eight new allies who are willing to fight, but nothing else." Everyone in the church looked at each other with worried looks. Much like Seteth, they were hoping for a small army to help them. Not a small band of misfits.

"One of our new allies has a mercenary band in Leicester, but we don't know if they'll be here in time. We are on our own."

More concerned looks were exchanged between the people. They had no clue as to how they were going to be protected from Those that Slither. And they weren't going to entirely like what Seteth said next.

"We do however have one option. These eight guns for hire as well as Edelgard and Hubert are going to train you all to fight back."

The second the suggestion left Seteth's mouth the townsfolk were arguing against it. The whole point of Edelgard and Hubert leaving Garreg Mach was to find people who would fight for them. Instead, they would have to do the fighting themselves, some townsfolk knew how to fight but they were not warriors. Once the church had gone quiet again Seteth spoke.

"I understand that we were hoping for them to do the fighting, but we have to work with what we have. When Those that Slithered first attacked their numbers were low and we barely survived. But if we train under these men and woman's guidance then we will stand more of a chance."

The church was quiet. It made sense, if they could all get a better understanding of their weapons, they would be able to fight back. When Those that Slithered first attacked it was only a small group, but they still managed to kill thirteen people and cause damage to the town. But then they had the element of surprise, now with mercenaries by their side as well as their weapons, they would be able to stand a much greater chance. But even then, none of them knew when Those that Slither would attack, or how many. Training takes time and practice which was something that they were leaving for a gamble.

"I agree with this." Said Ferdinand from the church entrance doors, everyone looked at him as he spoke. "If we all learn how to master our weapons, Those that Slither will never stand a chance!" Ferdinand was the Sheriff of Garreg Mach, he was skilled enough with his revolver and had the charm to boot. He was cocky to some degree, but he cared for the town and its people. "Is there a plan in order?"

Everyone turned back to Seteth. "Well, I was thinking all those that are willing and capable are to train under are guns for hire. And will take it from there."

"May I add to this?" said Edelgard from her seat. She had been quietly listening and coming up with what to say.

"You may."

Edelgard stood and faced the crowd. "My plan is this, with our eight new allies you will all learn from each of them how to properly fight, and depending on what you excel at, you'll continually train under them. Every day we will train until Those that Slither attack. Then once the battle is one, this nightmare will be behind us." The townsfolk still seemed unconvinced. Edelgard continued. "Look, I know this won't be easy. But it is either that or they take this town and then they will have a neutral territory between the three countries. We cannot let that happen. This town was founded as a refugee town, for all those that needed to escape their home county for one reason or another. That's why some of you are here right?"

Most of the townsfolk nodded, some saying 'Yeah' as she spoke.

"This town helped the lives of so many people, rehabilitated those that were once criminals to live better, and even served in meetings for the countries leaders. My point is that all of that will be lost if we don't defend this town." More people started to agree with Edelgard, they became more vocal in their agreement. "We will train, we will fight, and with our combined strength this town will stay in our grasp!"

Edelgard had the townsfolk cheering in agreement. From one simple short speech, she managed to lift their spirits and have them ready for tomorrow's training. With their spirits lifted, the town meeting was finished. Each townsfolk left the church with high spirits, ready for the intense training of the days to come.

"Thanks for that." Said Seteth as he walked up to Edelgard. "I was pretty glum in my speech."

"Glad I could help. Tomorrow the _real_ work begins."

"That was impressive." Said Byleth. "You have a way with these folks."

"So, training." Said Felix from behind.

Edelgard looked past Byleth and saw the rest of her group looking at her. "Yes, we will devise a schedule and post it around town for the townsfolk to see. After tomorrow we should have an understanding of where their strengths are."

"Fine by me. Still, they'll hardly be soldiers before Those that Slither attack." Said Shamir from the corner of the room. She sounded unconvinced of Edelgard's plan.

"Are you doubting your employer?" snarled Hubert.

"No, I'm being realistic."

"I am not meaning to be doubtful." Said Petra. "But Shamir has a point."

"We still half to try." Said Leonie. "If they're confident in themselves to protect their town, then we need to be confident in training them."

Leonie had a point, if they were not confident in training the townsfolk then they will not learn very well. But, if they do their hardest, they could stand a chance, even if that chance is small.

"Hell yeah, we got this!" shouted Hilda. "Me and Felix can train them in close-quarter combat."

Felix rolled his eyes, he found Hilda annoying. Annette nudged him for it. "Fine, I'll do that with you." He said.

"I can show them how to use basic bombs." Beamed Annette.

"I can show them how to use a revolver more efficiently." Said Byleth. "These people most likely have some knowledge of weapons after all."

Edelgard smiled, knowing that things seemed to be going well, all of them were willing to train her people to protect her home. She was glad to have such willing warriors.

"Then it's settled, I'll make a schedule for the townsfolk to work with tomorrow and will go from there. For now, rest up, you'll need it for tomorrow." With that said, the group of ten made their way out of the church.

Edelgard walked beside Byleth as they left. "Byleth may I request something of you?"

"Sure. What ya need?"

"Well, I was wondering." Edelgard seemed to be acting awkwardly around Byleth, she was struggling to finish her sentence. "I… was wondering if we could both teach the townsfolk revolvers tomorrow."

Byleth looked at her with a tilted head. "Why?"

"W-Well… uh…" _Goddess, she looks cute when she does that._ "I just think if there's two of us they learn better, that's all."

"…I guess that should work. Sure, see ya tomorrow." Byleth walked away, unaware of Edelgard's staring.

Hubert saw the exchange between them from a distance at the church entrance. He was starting to get worried for Edelgard. Normally she would keep herself focused and keep her emotions in check. And yet this bounty hunter was turning her into a love-stricken mess whenever she simply walked. It was making him angry, and to top it off he almost revealed important information about her and himself. He needed to make sure Byleth would not pry for more secrets like that.

"Hey, gargoyle."

Hubert turned and found himself staring at Shamir. "Yes." He hissed.

"You doing okay. You seem angry at Byleth there."

"That is none of your concern." He turned and began walking. But Shamir followed.

"I think it is if it affects my job. You're her bodyguard, right?"

"In a way, yes. I simply look out for her well being."

"I wouldn't sweat it; she seems capable enough."

"Please leave me alone."

Shamir chuckled. "All right, I'll leave ya. But don't hurt yourself protecting her." Shamir then left Hubert alone and went to one of the town's bars.

_Why would you care?_ He thought.

* * *

Byleth sat alone in her room at one of the town inns. It was nice to finally be at Garreg Mach and no longer needed to sleep in a tent for the remainder of her job. She had just finished taking a shower and felt very relaxed, all of life's burdens felt as though they were lifted off her shoulders, even if it was temporary, it felt nice.

But that did not stop her memories from flooding in.

As she sat in bed, she held a small dagger. It was a deadly enough weapon, meant for quick attacks when in close quarters. Its grip had a worn-out blue wrapping around it, with a dull golden pommel and the blade was still sharp. The dagger once belonged to her father, Jerilt, it was a dagger that was passed down in their mercenary band she once fought with. It symbolized the strength of their mercenary band and how if they remained together, nothing would stop them. But none of that mattered now. Jerilt was dead, Byleth was broken after that and felt she had nothing left. And it was all thanks to Those that Slither in the Dark. Memories of their attack on their band still taunted her in her sleep, how they laughed as they slaughtered her comrades, their vile howling that put fear into them. The memories made her anger and her grip tightened around the grip of the dagger.

A sudden knock came at the door which startled Byleth. "Come in," she said as she put the dagger away.

Leonie walked in. "Hey, can we talk?"

"You are now," Byleth smirked, it got Leonie to chuckle.

"Good one, but seriously, can we?"

"Sure." Byleth sat up on the bed and made room for Leonie to sit.

"It's about the night when you didn't want to talk." Leonie sighed. "I get that it's tough to talk about. I miss him too. But you haven't talked about for five years Byleth."

Byleth did not look at her.

"Were facing the people that killed Jerilt, maybe even the killer herself. I'm just… just scared that you'll be blinded by revenge. That is why we took this job after all, isn't it?"

"I've been thinking it over myself too." Byleth finally said. "When Petra told me, she wanted justice for her tribe it reminded me of him. I've been thinking it over and, yeah, it is revenge."

Both were silent. Growing up, Jerilt raised Byleth and Leonie to be good people. To never be petty with things and to never let the past pick your future. And yet, here they were. Fighting to get back at the ones who took him.

"No matter what happens, this job comes first," Byleth said firmly. "If we happen to find the killer responsible will deliver proper justice either after the fight or during. We will not let anger blind us. He raised us better than that."

Leonie nodded her head. "Just, don't die okay. I don't want to lose you too."

"Hey," Byleth gave Leonie a tight hug. "you won't. Will get through this together."

"Yeah…" Leonie sobbed. "Together."


	7. Training Day

A man dressed in a dark robe sat in his office quietly, looking out his large window at the night sky. He had just finished finalizing his plans for what he had in mind for Garreg Mach, for he was the leader of Those that Slither in the Dark. His name was Thales, he had been leading Those that Slither in the Dark for ten years. In those ten years, he had put fear into the three counties of his group, with their constant attacks on towns and villages. Their dark clothing and pale skin made everyone who saw them look away, their history of violent acts had spread throughout the countries. Even the governments of these three countries were terrified of them. And that is what he wanted, to be feared and seen as something more than just a person.

As he sat quietly in his office a knock came at his door. "Come in," he said.

A man dress in a black suit entered. "The squad we sent to Gaspard has returned. And our assassin from House Fraldarius has as well" He said.

"And?"

"The assassin successfully killed Glenn, but he was quickly caught and killed."

"Shame," Thales grunted. "And the squad at Gaspard?"

"They failed, only four returned from the attack."

Thales turned in his seat to face the man. "How did a squad fail this mission?" he asked.

"Seven riders who were exiting the town fought back. One of them is your traitor niece Edelgard."

Thales' eyes widened at the mention of Edelgard's name. It had been five years since he had seen her, nor even hear about her. "So, my niece has finally shown herself again. Mm…" Thales tapped his fingers together as he looked out his window. "she was with a group you said?"

"Yes, our four survivors said they looked to be mercenaries. And our spies have heard rumors of a white-haired woman trying to gather warriors to oppose us."

Thales' eyes narrowed. "So, the rumors our spies picked up before are true. How many squads do we have out?"

"One in Faerghus that are ready to strike House Galatia. And one in Leicester that just finished robbing two banks."

"Have them return immediately. We are going to prepare our assault on Garreg Mach."

"Sir, that quick? I thought we were going to wait longer."

"If Edelgard is building an army to oppose us we need to move swiftly. We cannot let them prepare more than they already have. Once the squads have returned have them prepare the wagons and supplies. And double the training."

"Yes sir, right away." The man left the room, leaving Thales alone.

_So, you finally fight against me, my dear niece._ Thales thought. _No matter. Soon you will join your siblings._

* * *

"Fire!" shouted Byleth.

Within seconds five townsfolk fired revolvers at the five dummies 50 yards out. The five townsfolk kept firing until each of their revolvers were emptied. The ones who were not armed were looking from the sidelines, observing the revolver training.

After the firing was done, Byleth walked up to the dummies with the five individuals. Out of the five townsfolk, who were all armed with six-round revolvers, only two bullets hit their mark, but they were not even lethal. One bullet hit grazed the left shoulder of a dummy, while the other also only grazed what would be the right hip on another dummy.

"Let's try again." Said Byleth.

Byleth and the five men walked back fifty yards away from the dummies. They were reloading their guns but very slowing. Edelgard watched and felt she had to speak up.

"When you're in combat you'll need to be quicker on the reload, try to be faster." She said in a stern voice. With that, the five men reloaded much quicker and had their revolvers ready.

"Remember," said Byleth. "you want to hold it steady and try to imagine where the target is. In battle, they'll be moving so it's best to understand how to picture your shot."

Each of the five townsfolk readied their revolvers and did what Byleth said. They all imagined where the target was and held their guns firmly.

"Fire!" shouted Byleth.

The five men fired off their revolvers until they were empty. Byleth and the five men walked up to the dummies and this time a few bullets made their mark. One-shot threw the head, one threw the chest, and another threw the left shoulder.

"Much better." Byleth pulled out a small notebook and pencil and jot done the men who struck their target. This way she could figure out who was better with revolvers. "That'll be it for you guys. Your next lesson is with Leonie, she'll teach you how to use a winchester."

The group then left Edelgard and Byleth alone, Byleth jotted down more notes on some of the townsfolk that showed potential. Out of the twelve that were present, only five showed some skill with a revolver.

"That was the third group today, so far only a few from each have shown skill." Said Edelgard.

"Yeah, but at the very least I'd rather have a few then have nothing." Replied Byleth. "We have about five minutes before the next class, I'll be practicing." Byleth then stood the same distance the five townsfolk were at and brought out one of her revolvers. With one hand she fired off six shots, each cleanly entering and exiting the head of each dummy.

Edelgard watched in awe. Seeing Byleth with full concentration was mesmerizing, she looked beautiful as she fired each shot. "Say, before our next group, would it be alright if you teach me a few things?" she asked.

Byleth looked at her. "Why? You seem skilled already."

"Well, my revolver is more suited to burst shots, not accuracy. Maybe you could teach me how to use a normal one, just in case."

Edelgard deep down was not lying. Her revolver was a burst shot weapon, similar to a shotgun, it had a bullet propelled but also had scattered pieces from the shell when fired, what it lacked in range it made up for with sheer firepower. However, Edelgard's real reason as to why she wanted to learn was because she wanted to get close to Byleth. _It is okay,_ thought Edelgard. _You are just learning from your partner, that is all._

"Sure." Said Byleth, snapping Edelgard back to reality. "Come here, I'll show you how to aim from a distance."

Edelgard walked next to Byleth who brought out her other revolver and handed it to her. It was much smaller than Edelgard's revolver and noticeably light. "Alright so," said Byleth. Try to imagine where the target is, picture where the bullet will enter, and hold the grip firmly and ready your trigger finger." Byleth said everything calmly which sent goosebumps all over Edelgard which she tried to ignore.

Once Edelgard collected herself she fired off the six shots, each hitting their mark on the dummies. They both walked up to them and examined the shots. Three entered the gut, two threw the chest on the same one, and the final shot was a headshot. Byleth narrowed her eyes and looked at Edelgard, not out of anger but curiosity.

"You seem very skilled with a regular revolver…"

Edelgard's face was bright red. "Well, I didn't say I was bad with them, just not as skilled with my usual revolver."

Byleth raised an eyebrow.

"Uh… Oh look the next group is here, we should get ready!" Edelgard said unnecessarily loud. Edelgard then walked away blushing.

Byleth merely chuckled.

* * *

_Goddess, she is annoying._ Thought Felix.

For the past four hours, Felix had been training townsfolk on how to use knives and swords. Basic skills that even a child would know, at least in Faerghus. He taught them how to properly hold a blade as well as quickly draw it for combat. It was the same with knives, how to hold, thrust, and even throw when necessary. He was extremely strict when teaching this, a sword and knife were not toys, they were weapons made to deal death. He wanted them to be prepared, for if the enemy were to come in close quarters, he wanted them to know how to fight. Felix would never admit it but, he did care about these people. He was a mercenary, but he was not heartless. All in all, he thought the training was going well but there was one issue.

Hilda.

Hilda had been constantly chatting up with each person she was supposed to be training with. They would gossip for a bit right before each duel and it was making Felix anger. She was not even as strict as him with the training. When someone messed up a sword swipe, she would simply go "Hey it's okay." But to Felix, it was a matter of life or death and she was making it out to be all cheery. He had to make this stop. Once the lesson was over and the group left Felix walked up to her.

"You think this is fun?" he asked.

Hilda looked at him confused. "Uh… No. I'm training what else?"

"You keep chatting with these people when you're supposed to be training them."

"Felix, I'm warming up to them, so they feel more relaxed around me. That way it is easier to train them. Do you get what I mean?"

"I'm more concerned about trying to get them to hold a sword right."

Felix had a point; Hilda should focus more on their training than talking with the townsfolk. But she was not giving up that easily. "I get what you mean, but I think letting these people see that we're just people too helps them a little bit. I did that with my mercenary family. We would talk to them before and after our job. Helps them feel safer you know?"

Felix raised an eyebrow. "Maybe…"

Hilda suddenly had an idea of how she and he could agree. "Hey think of it like this, if you were training Annette-"

"Please don't. I get what our trying to say, I do, I really do. Just…" Felix took a deep breath to prevent himself from yelling. "don't bring Annette into this."

"Alright, alright." Hilda raised her hands in defeat. "Just, when the next group comes let us try it more my way and see how you do. How about that?"

Felix frowned. "Fine."

And so, the next group came. With Hilda's advice, Felix was gentler with his attitude. Whenever a person messed up their swing or dropped their knife out of being clumsy, he was not as strict as before. He did not say 'pick it up' like before, this time he merely showed them after how to hold the weapon more popularly. Because of this more passive way of teaching, Felix was getting along with the townsfolk a lot more than his last few groups he taught. They even thanked him afterward. After an hour of teaching them the basic sword and knife technics, the lesson was over, and the group left.

Felix was about to get some water when he noticed Hilda smirking at him. "What?" he asked.

"Nothing, I'm sure Annette is going to love hearing about how you were a big softy to them." Hilda said jokingly.

Felix rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

* * *

"So, in conclusion, simply shooting where the enemy will be will give you more kills." Said Shamir to the group she was teaching.

It was one o'clock and Shamir had been teaching group after group regarding the ways in how to be a sniper. Most of the people in each group were not exceptionally good and many lacked even the ability to aim a sniper rifle properly. Since the weapon was not so common among towns, Shamir had to explain how it properly worked each time. These people were used to revolvers and winchesters, not a weapon made for assassination. Once her lesson was over and the group left, she looked over her shoulder narrowed her eyes toward a dark ally between two buildings.

"You gonna show yourself?"

Hubert emerged from the dark alleyway and walked up to Shamir. "How have your lessons been?" he asked.

"Been okay. I am afraid I am only getting a few who can shoot a rifle properly. And how about you? Are enjoying the show?" Shamir smirked as she asked.

"Just keeping an eye on you, that's all."

"You seem… distrustful of me. Why? I'm not the only mercenary here you know."

"My reasons are my own. Just be careful with what decisions you make." He snarled.

"You should relax more; you seem cuter when you do." With that, Shamir walked off. Leaving a very flustered and confused Hubert.

_Cute?_ He thought.

* * *

"So, I put this in here?" said Marianne.

"Yup." Said Annette cheerfully.

The two girls were busy working on small grenades for the townsfolk to use, pouring in gunpowder to small ball-shaped containers. After they poured the powder in, they would seal the container with a string hanging out. They were basic bombs, but they were deadly when used right. As they were pouring, Marianne's hands were shaky. She had never down this before and it was making her nervous. Right when she was about to pour the powder in, she dropped the container, spilling the pounder over the desk they were using.

"Oh, Goddess I'm so sorry."

"Hey, it's okay it happens. I did that thousand of times when I first did this." Annette said reassuringly.

"I don't think I'm cut out for this."

"Well, we're only making them so, you won't be on the field like me so, I think you'll do fine. Plus making them is the easy part." Annette grinned.

"This is easy?" Marianne asked.

"Oh yeah, setting them up is where you need to be careful." Annette saw the horrified look on Marianne's face. "It's okay I'll do that. I only need you for this."

Marianne breathed a sigh of relief. "I wonder what the townsfolk will think of this…"

"They'll only be learning how to use them, not make them. So, I think they'll be decent. Besides, they'll be shooting more than throwing bombs." Annette chuckled.

"Yes, I guess your right."

"Oh hey, if you don't mind me asking, how long have you and Hilda been together?" asked Annette.

"Oh well, we met five years ago, and we've been married for three of those years."

"That sounds lovely, must've been lots of fun."

Marianne smiled at the memory of her wedding day. "Yes, it was probably the greatest day of my life. And for three months we retired from the mercenary life but..."

"But?"

"Those that Slithered happened, so that's why we're here. They attacked our house and the town we live by. And Edelgard made a good point about how if we don't stop them this circle of violence will continue." Marianne put her grenade down and had a sad expression.

"Hey, will win this," Annette said enthusiastically. "and soon you'll be back home enjoying the good life."

Marianne smiled and looked at Annette. "Thanks... If you don't mind me asking, why are you here fighting them?"

Annette put down her black powder bag and was silent for a moment. Her and Felix did have a run-in with Those that Slither, but it was not pleasant. "Before I and Felix left our respected houses, both our families faced off against them.

"Three years ago, they attacked my family's manor, and in that attack, they killed my father. One year later they attacked Felix's manor, killing his mother in the attack."

"That's horrible."

"We do what we can to put it behind us, but I still remember seeing my father fall in battle… that's why I'm here, to stop more family's from seeing what I've seen." Annette turned to Marianne; her face of sadness was replaced by a face of confidence.

"You seem so hopeful… you think we can win this?" Marianne asked quietly. It was clear she was scared of fighting Those that Slither and Annette didn't blame her.

"Hey, I don't think will make it through this, I _know_ we're going to make it through this."

Marianne smiled, she felt better after hearing Annette's advise.

"Now let's lighten the mood while we make these, how were you and Hilda's honeymoon?"

* * *

The first day of training had finally ended, and the results were not… awful. The townsfolk showed some skill with the weapons that were given to them and with some training, they could be good fighters. But the issue was that it would take time. The attack on Garreg Mach could be any day and the townsfolk needed so much more training to be formidable. Once nightfall came the ten mercenaries all gathered in Seteth's office to discuss the matter.

"They show some skill, but it will be a good few weeks before they have the basics down." Said Byleth to Seteth.

"Their combat skills are poor too, if the enemy were to get close, they won't last long." Said Felix bitterly.

"Well… it seems training will be our top priority." Said Seteth as he took a sip of vodka while he sat at his desk.

"Based on the notes we all took, will assign the townsfolk a schedule on what they'll learn from all of us. And each day will train until the attack happens." Said Edelgard. "How were they for everyone else?"

"Well, they can retain information at least." Said Shamir nonchalantly.

"I showed them how to use a winchester properly, they seem to understand it at least." Said Leonie.

"And I showed them how to use bombs." Said Annette. "I think we have a good start."

"I am having great success with teaching them fighting techniques of my tribe as well." Said Petra.

Edelgard looked at them all, each was willing to train every day for Garreg Mach, and she was grateful for it. "Well, if we keep at it every day, will have some fighting chance." Said Edelgard. "Starting tomorrow, we train every day to fight Those that Slither in the Dark."


	8. Getting to know you

One week had passed since the first day of training began and the townsfolk have shown great improvement. Their aim had shown good progress and their hand to hand combat from Hilda and Felix had also improved. It was clear that these people were willing to do anything to protect their town, their training was proof of that.

After every day, Edelgard had Byleth teach her more with the revolver. Edelgard had improved her aim, that way she didn't rely on her weapons spread range and could now rely more on direct hits. It was good she was learning more but of course; she was simply happy to be near her.

It was getting late and Edelgard and Byleth finished teaching their last class for the day. The sun was setting, the shadows of trees were getting longer, it was a beautiful evening. As they walked back into town, Edelgard wanted to ask Byleth a question.

"Hey, Byleth."

"Hmm?"

"You feeling hungry? I know a good bar we could go to."

"Yeah, I could eat. What's it called?"

"The Ashen Wolf, the drinks are great, and the food is to die for."

"Sounds good, let's eat."

* * *

The Ashen Wolf was just as great as Edelgard said it would. The exterior of the building was well built and well kept, it almost looked new. A wolf was rising from ashes painted across the building with the words painted with bright yellow. The interior was just as well made, if not more good looking. The chairs and bar table were painted with a bright grey and the leather on the seats were comfy. The fans in the bar were also functioning well, so a nice cool air circulated the bar nicely. There were also paintings of wolves hanging around the bar, all representing different elements of nature. Whoever owned the bar loved wolves.

The drinks and food were amazing as well.

Byleth ordered a large pasta with chicken strips drenched in alfredo sauce. For her drink, she ordered a plain beer, nothing wrong with the classics. Edelgard ordered a double patty burger with salad on the side. As for her drink, she ordered red wine in a fancy glass. The food was delicious, and the drinks were refreshing as well.

"Didn't think you were a burger gal," said Byleth.

"Let me guess, is it my size?"

Byleth sized her up from head to toe. "Maybe."

They both chuckled and continued with their meal. Once they finished, they continued to talk with each other. They mostly talked about some of the things they did as kids, the pranks they would pull, the weird imagination they had growing up. It was a pleasant conversation that went on for about an hour, all the while Hubert watched from across the room. He was starting to get worried for Edelgard, she was supposed to be training, instead, she was on a date!

It was soon nighttime and Byleth decided she wanted an early night; she said her fair wells and left a smiling Edelgard. Hubert got up from his seat and walked up to her.

"Hubert, what is it?" she asked as he approached.

"May I speak with you?" he asked.

"Yes of course. What is it?"

"I'm here in regards to your crush for our partner." He said.

Edelgard blushed. "You noticed?"

"You didn't think I wouldn't see you glance at her while we first rode together?"

"Fine." She sighed. "Yes, I do. But I am still focusing on our main objective. I won't let this distract me."

Hubert took a seat next to her. "Your majesty I-"

"Don't call me that." She said firmly. "I'm not royalty anymore remember?"

"Pardon me for using such a word. You are still a princess in my eyes." He said sadly.

"I'm flattered you do, but that's not my life anymore."

They fell into an uncomfortable silence, neither one wanting to discuss the issue. It had been five years since they left Enbarr, and neither of them was good at talking about the life they left behind. Edelgard was only open about her past to Hubert but he was not exactly a brotherly type. As for Hubert, he had never been open about anything. The topic of one's _feelings_ was not something he liked. They had known each other for years, even going back into their youth, but even to this day, emotions were not something they were willing to talk about.

"Let us get back on topic. You think I'm getting too distracted?" Edelgard asked.

Hubert coughed awkwardly before speaking. "Yes, I feel you are getting too attached to Byleth. She will be gone once this is all over you know."

"You never know, she might stay."

"Perhaps, but unlikely."

"The same could be said for you and Shamir," Edelgard smirked.

Hubert's eyes narrowed as he looked at her. "I beg your pardon?"

"I've seen how she looks at you, and you always have your eyes on her."

"T-That's because she's suspicious." He stammered.

"Sure." Edelgard raised her hands in defeat. "Anyway, I will not let my crush get in the way, no matter what. Now, I am ready for bed, good night Hubert. Also," as Edelgard got up she whispered something into Hubert's ear. "touch your hair up a bit, Shamir might like that."

Hubert growled in annoyance while Edelgard chuckled and walked away.

* * *

Byleth laid on her bed, unable to sleep. It had been a few hours now and still, she did not feel any drowsiness whatsoever. She had wondered why but she finally may have figured it out. Back in Gaspard, Hubert almost said something, something important about Edelgard. It had been nagging at the back of her brain ever since and she wanted to know what he almost said. She tried asking Edelgard once before but was answered with a stern response. So, the question remained, how would she get an answer? She could try talking to Hubert, but he did not seem the type to give anything away. Her other option was to ask Edelgard directly, but she did not know if that would work either. Maybe some of the townsfolk knew, Seteth and Flayn seemed well acquainted with her so maybe they knew. But she did not want to be rude either, maybe it was something so important that it was not her right to know. Or maybe-

Byleth suddenly heard crying from her room next door.

It was Edelgard.

Byleth shot up from her bed and ran out of her room. She did not care if she was wearing her sleeping gown, she wanted to make sure Edelgard was alright. But why did she care this much? Edelgard was only her partner for a job, nothing more. Byleth did not know but she did not care either, she was crying. And she had to make sure she was alright.

Byleth opened Edelgard's door and saw her curled up on her bed in tears. She walked up and gave her a light shake. "Edelgard."

Edelgard suddenly jolted upward and was now wide awake with tears going down her cheeks. "B-Byleth…?"

"I heard you crying," Byleth said softly.

"I'm fine…" Edelgard said as she wiped her tears away.

"You're not fine, you were crying, and you jolted out of bed. Somethings wrong." Byleth sat on the bed. "You can talk if you want."

Edelgard was not sure if telling her story to Byleth was the best choice. She did not know everything about her unlike her friends at Garreg Mach. But, Byleth had the endearing smile on her face, she seemed so open and willing to listen. She knew Hubert may be right after this job was done Byleth might leave. But she had been holding these feelings in for so long, the pain, the anger, the fear, all of it. Bottled up deep inside her and it was only building over time. Hubert knew her pain, but she never really expressed it with him. But maybe with Byleth, she could finally let go of this pain and suffering.

"… Alright. But only if you promise to keep it to yourself." Edelgard adjusted herself in bed so she was more upright.

"I promise," Byleth said firmly.

"Thank you." Edelgard smiled briefly but it quickly faded. "I was having a nightmare…"

"About what?"

"I… had ten other siblings, eight older, two youngers. I remember their cries for help in the dark cages we were held in. My older brother laid helpless, my older sister shouting for help, I remember it all, it never leaves me." Edelgard's face looked as though she was there at that very moment.

"What happened to you and your siblings?"

"… We were experimented on by Those that Slither in the Dark."

"So that's why you want them gone."

"Yes, they did horrible things to me and my siblings. I… I was the only one who survived."

"How did you escape?"

"My father and Hubert worked together to break us free. Once we were, we went into hiding, my father still leads the Empire, my uncle never knew about him being involved."

Byleth tilted her head. "Your uncle?"

"…Yes, my uncle leads Those that Slither in the Dark." Edelgard was silent for a moment, Byleth was patient and simply waited until she continued. "He believes that I and my siblings were descendants of the Goddess Sothis. Tell me, how much do you know about the Religion of Sothis?"

"Not a whole lot. From what I have been told she gifted the world with knowledge and her children helped humans along the way, or something like that."

"In a sense yes. My uncle believed that one of us had her blood in our veins and it was told through the legends that her blood granted the power to those who used it. My uncle wanted that power, he still wants it. And he wants Garreg Mach because he knows if he gets control over it, he legally can perform acts of evil since this town is neutral territory."

"Have you tried contacting the other country leaders?"

"I did before I and Hubert met you a few months ago. They never got back to me. I cannot help but wonder if Those that Slither stopped my letters from getting through."

"So, that's why he wants this town."

There was a long drawn out silence between them. What they just discussed explained a lot of Byleth's questions, Hubert was about to say "Majesty" back in Gaspard. It explained why he was loyal and why they both left Enbarr five years ago. To think, the princess of the Adrestian Empire was right in front of her this whole time, living in a town in the middle of all three countries.

"If you don't mind me asking, will you ever go back to your country to lead your people?" Byleth did not know why but the thought of Edelgard leaving sounded sad to her.

"Maybe…. I haven't given it much thought." Edelgard said with a saddened expression as she looked down at her blankets.

Byleth did not know what came over, she did not know if the Goddess gave her courage or not, but the next thing she knew she was hugging Edelgard. Edelgard squeaked in surprise but quickly relaxed at the soft and warm feeling of Byleth's body. It was so comforting to feel another person touching her, she wrapped her arms around Byleth and brought her closer. She did not want it to end, and neither did Byleth. Neither had ever had physical affection given to them so both were experiencing something new and yet welcoming. They both stayed in each others' arms for about a minute before letting each other go.

"Sorry for the sudden hug, I just thought you needed it," Byleth said as she blushed a bright shade of red.

"T-Thank you, I'm grateful for it."

Byleth left Edelgard to sleep and for the rest of the night both women dreamed of that wonderful warmth they felt when they touched.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bit of a shorter chapter but hey, I finally got to show Edelgard opening up to Byleth. As well as explain the villains plan. Hope ya liked it!


	9. Bonding

Holst Goneril of the Goneril mercenary family laid up against a tall tree, taking in the cool shade it offered while he dozed off peacefully. He and his mercs had just finished traveling for the past two hours looking for work and had sadly found none. They were at the very least hoping for some combat along their journey, maybe some bandits or an evil cult to fight, but alas, nothing. So, they kept traveling from town to town, asking folks if there was work for them. After many failed attempts, they found a peaceful field with a tall tree to relax in. They set up a fire to cook their lunch, sharped their weapons just to be safe, and even did a bit of training for the more youthful members.

As for himself, Holst wanted a nap, and the tall tree in the field seemed like a good enough spot as any. As he napped though, he could hear the rhythmic thudding of horse hooves in the distance, they were getting close. He got up from where he sat and put his hand on his revolver just to be safe. He looked in the direction of the sound and saw a man riding towards him. It was a messenger; messengers of Leicester wore bright yellow clothing, so it was easier for people to spot them and ask to deliver letters. They were primarily used for delivering a letter to groups such as Holst mercenary family are nomadic tribes since they were always moving. While it made it easy for citizens to spot them, it was the same with people who wanted to steal certain letters, this one was lucky.

The messenger stopped in front of Holst and brought out a letter. "Holst Goneril?" he asked.

"Yup, that's me."

Holst took the letter and bid the messenger a good day, in an instant the messenger was gone and left a trail of disturbed dust in the air. Holst read the letter to himself as he walked back to the camp his mercs made.

"What is it?" asked Jesper, Holst's right-hand man of the Goneril mercenary family.

"It's from my little sis, she says were needed at a town named Garreg Mach."

"Hey, isn't that the name of that neutral area between the three counties?"

"Yeah, never been there myself though, she has the directions written here so will know where to go. She also says will be fighting Those that Slither in the Dark."

"Wait, how did she get tied up with them?"

"She says she'll explain when we get there… Well, I would say we go there. We ain't found much work and the guys are hungry for a fight."

"I guess but, it's Those that Slither, Holst."

"Yeah, and my sister is getting in trouble with them, therefore, we gotta go," Holst said cheerfully despite the situation his sister was in.

Holst rounded up his band of mercs and had them riding toward Garreg Mach in a heartbeat, any chance at combat was always welcomed to the Goneril mercenary family.

* * *

Three weeks had passed since the training had begun for the townsfolk of Garreg Mach, and they had tremendous progress. Every one of them had shown how to effectively use a gun, from the revolver to the winchester. Their shots had improved and were much more accurate, they were bullseyes, but they were shots that would kill. Their hand to hand and melee weapon skills had improved as well. Hilda and Felix each taught them how to use a knife effectively and even shown them the best use of their bare hands. Sword wise they decided to abandon, most of the townsfolk had gotten rid of most of theirs, as Hubert would put it, traditional weapons in favor of either a gun or simply no weapon at all before Those that Slithered came. So, Hilda and Felix did not bother with swords anymore, instead of focusing on how to make use of one's weapons nature gave them.

All was well and spirits were high… except for Hubert.

Hubert sat in the corner of the bar of the Ashen Wolf at seven o'clock am as he watched Byleth and Edelgard eat breakfast together. Hubert trusted that Edelgard would not let her emotions cloud her judgment, but the more time she spent with Byleth only served to worry him. The same morning Edelgard told Hubert about how she told Byleth their past which also worried him. But then again, Seteth and Flayn know so maybe it was not so bad. Still, the last thing he wanted was to see her getting hurt.

Hubert was so lost in thought he did not notice Shamir walking up to him, and only noticed till she dropped a plate of pancakes in front of him.

"Hungry?" she asked.

"… Only a little." Hubert looked away in embarrassment, trying hard to ignore the blush that crept upon his face.

"I figured you'd be." Shamir looked in the same direction as Hubert was. "You still worried?"

Hubert sighed. "Yes, but that's my job. If you do not mind me asking why do you care so much about me? All I've done so far is given you a hard time."

Shamir smirked. "Call me crazy but, I find your undying loyalty to your boss endearing. That and I like how you don't shy away from how you act around others, what with your creepy aura and all."

"…. I think you're crazy."

Shamir chuckled. "Sure, enjoy your breakfast." Shamir left the bar leaving Hubert alone.

Hubert grunted in frustration, he looked down at his pancakes and first glared at them. But he soon picked his fork up and began eating. He didn't care if Shamir was being nice, she was still suspicious to him. What with her pretty face, her amazing skill with her sniper rifle, her smooth and calm voice, or her slim figure which, when she was walking moved her ass just ri-

"Oh no." Hubert said threw gritted teeth.

* * *

_Annette is so lucky; he is such a sweetheart._ Thought Hilda.

Hilda and Felix were at it once again with training the townsfolk. With each passing day, their knife skills improved and their hand to hand skills improved as well. However, to Hilda, the best improvement was how Felix was treating the townsfolk. Beforehand, Felix was rough with them and treated them as grunts. But with Hilda's guidance, he had been kinder towards them. Granted he was still tough regarding the physical aspects of the training, he never held back after all. But all in all, the townsfolk liked how he taught them how to stand their ground when up close, and for that they were thankful.

"So, you think they could fight if the battle were to come right now?" Hilda asked after their most recent group left.

"If they remember their training they might survive." He said dryly.

"I think they'll do fine."

"…Hey, I have a question for you."

"Oh?"

"How do you stay so happy during all this?"

Hilda was silent for a moment. "… I'm not necessarily happy Felix. I'm just… putting on a brave face." Hilda had her face down. "I'm acting happy because I don't want to give in to despair. I want these people to feel like it's going to be okay." She looked back up at Felix. "I know how serious this is, but for their sack, I'll do what I can to lift their spirits."

Felix nodded his head. "If that's what you feel is right go for it. Just don't hurt yourself."

"Aww, you do care."

"Shut up." He grumbled.

They continued their training for the next hour, making sure everyone was in perfect form with their skills. All was going well, that is until a man walked up to Felix with a letter in hand. The man was from the post office of Garreg Mach and said it was from a man named Rodrigue. Felix was confused, his father had not sent him a letter since he and Annette left their houses for the life of a mercenary. Felix took the letter and thanked the man and quickly opened it.

Hilda walked over to see what he was reading. "Who wrote to you?"

Felix was silent, his eyes glued to the letter.

"Felix?"

"I need to find Annette; can you train them while I'm gone?" Felix sounded more bitter than usual. Hilda knew something was wrong but did not question it.

"Yeah, sure."

With that Felix walked away to find Annette, leaving Hilda alone to teach the townsfolk.

* * *

"How about… this!" exclaimed Annette.

Marianne looked at the colour of eyeliner Annette had picked out. It was a nice soft blue. "Uh… I guess so." Marianne said softly.

Over the past three weeks, Marianne and Annette had been spending time together at the end of each day. Whether it be girl talk or from seeing what the town market had to offer. Over that time, they had become the best of friends, sharing their life stories, and learning more about each other. Today. Marianne had told Annette while they were making explosives, that she had never really tried makeup. Annette was shocked and now here they were, trying different colours and seeing what worked.

"If you don't mind me asking, why have you never tried makeup before?" asked Annette.

"Well… my hometown wasn't very wealthy, and…" Marianne started to blush. "Hilda always told me I looked good without it."

"Aww, that's sweet. Do you wanna stop then? I don't want to if- "

"N-No it's fine. I am sure she will like it. Besides, it can't hurt to try."

For the next hour, Annette applied different types of makeup to Marianne, being sure to be careful and not get any in her eyes. Every so often they would chat, talk about dresses, Annette talked about how she and Felix met. She even entertained the idea of going on a double date with their partners. It was relaxing and helped them forget about the worries of the world.

But only for so long.

A knock could be heard from

"Come in." Annette said.

Felix walked into the room without even saying 'Hello' and walked straight up to Annette, completely ignoring Marianne. "Read it please." He said as he handed Annette the letter.

Annette took the letter and read it. Within seconds she covered her mouth with her hand. Tears rolling down her cheeks. "Oh, Felix…"

"What's wrong?" asked Marianne.

"…Is it okay if I tell?"

"… Yeah…" Felix said quietly while facing the floor.

Annette turned to Marianne. "Felix's older brother Glenn… has been assassinated by Those that Slither."

"No…." Marianne said quietly.

"They found the assassin and killed him, but it doesn't matter…" Felix said. "You know what this means, right Annette?"

"Yeah…"

"What does that mean?'

"It means after we're done here…" Annette bit her lip before speaking. "Will half to go back to Faerghus and become nobles again."

"If I had been there- "

"Don't start Felix," Annette said sternly.

"I could've saved him!" Felix shouted as tears streamed down his cheeks and dripped.

"They did this to stop the Fraldarius bloodline from continuing. They would've killed you too!"

Felix looked away as anger fumed inside him. Annette was right, the point of the assassination was to end his bloodline. If Felix had been there, he would have been killed too, maybe even his father. Those that Slither in the Dark had now not only taken Felix's mother but his brother as well.

"… How did he even know we were here?" Felix said more to himself than Annette.

"Your father must have had spies watching over us. He didn't exactly agree with us leaving."

Marianne stood from her chair. "I think I should go. And Felix…" Felix looked up at her. "I'm sorry for your loss." Marianne left the room, leaving Felix and Annette alone.

"Felix…" Annette said softly. "I know we became mercenaries to escape our noble lives, but…"

"Annette…" Felix choked; he could barely talk through his sobs. "Can I hold you?" he asked.

Annette was still and silent at first but eventually walked toward him. She held him tightly while he hugged her all the while he cried into Annette's hair. She did not care if he was squeezing her a little too tightly, or if he was crying into her hair, he needed her. He had lost another person in his life and he could not even say goodbye. For the next ten minutes they stayed alone in the room, the only sound was Felix's sobs.

* * *

Edelgard had been wandering around the outskirts of Garreg Mach, looking over the tree line that was south of the town, and the massive hill that was east of the town. She knew these would be the attack points of the town since the west and northern areas were blocked by unstable mountain ranges. The attackers could easily shoot from the tree line using the growth of the forest as cover. As for the hill, Edelgard knew that would be where the horseback riders would come from. They would ride down the hill, pick up speed and easily charge into town, firing at anything and anyone. She knew they would need to have their firepower aimed toward these areas if they wanted a fighting chance. She then heard footsteps from behind, she turned and saw Petra walking toward her.

"Hello Petra, what brings you here?" she asked.

"I could be asking the same," Petra replied. "I am going hunting. What are you doing here?"

"I'm taking look at our surroundings. They'll attack from the forest as well as the hilltop. So, will need to set up a defense line facing those areas."

"So will need a barrier of some kind?"

"More or less."

"Should we set it up now?"

"No, no I'll ask Seteth first since will need to improvise with what we have."

"Okay, I'll be back."

Edelgard was silent for a moment, she had a question but was nervous about bringing it up. "Petra…"

"Mm?"

"You and Ashe are a couple correct?"

Petra suddenly had a crimson face. "Y-Yes, we are a…. _thing_ as some would say."

"How…. Did you confess to him?"

"Well I had been friends with him for a long time, and… well… I have no knowledge. It just happened."

"I see…" Edelgard looked away.

"Is there someone you like?"

Edelgard had a deep blush that she tried to cover. "Yes… I wish to tell them how I feel but…" Edelgard felt completely embarrassed, she was a warrior, a formal princess of the Empire, and a determined woman. Yet she was falling apart when talking about a romantic crush, a crush which was upon a woman she had only known for only over a month.

"It can be scary, but sometimes you need to, as Ashe would be saying, take a leap of faith."

Edelgard turned back. "You think so?"

"Yes. Life is short, believe me. When my tribe was wiped out, I did not have the chance to say goodbye to my mother and father. Or my friends either. And this battle we are facing could be our last, so take a chance Edelgard."

Edelgard blinked. Petra didn't fumble her words like she usually would. It was clear that Petra had a deep understanding of not just romance but of how you should make life worth it. Petra lost everything because of Those that Slither in the dark. If anyone knew how it felt to regret not telling someone something, it was her.

"Okay, I'll try."

Petra nodded. "Good luck."

* * *

Four weeks had now passed and since the training had started, the townsfolk continued to improve and so has their confidence. They were more comfortable with the guns they carried and had a better understanding of they worked and how effective they could be. Byleth, Edelgard, Shamir, and Leonie did an amazing job teaching, each townsfolk felt ready and they were only getting better. As for their hand to hand combat, Felix, Hilda, and Petra were able to give these simple people the strength they needed to fight. If an enemy got close, they felt confident in their skill. Although they were still understandably scared, they were fighting a crime syndic that had invoked fear among the three countries. And they would be much more well trained.

But even still, the townsfolk of Garreg Mach would put up a fight no matter the odds.

Almost all of them.

A few townsfolk refused to train under the men and woman Edelgard and Hubert brought back, even after being told they had too by Seteth. These few people believed that since there were mercenaries here in Garreg Mach they didn't need to fight, they also believed that since most of the townsfolk were fighting, they felt there was more than enough. They had this idea that other people should be fighting for them so they would not have to get their hands dirty. It annoyed Edelgard to no end, she didn't understand why others would be cowards when they needed to fight for their home. She and Byleth were out training as the sunset. They had finished training for the day and were practicing with each other.

"I'll never understand those that won't fight for themselves when they must." Said Edelgard.

"Me, Leonie, and my father had met those kinds of people villages." Said Byleth. "People like that rely too much on others, that's their issue."

Byleth shot off six rounds at one of the dummies and performed six headshots perfectly. Edelgard smiled at the beautiful display.

"My father always said this, 'Never trust others to always protect you, because when there gone, you won't be able to fight.'"

"Your father seemed to be wise."

Byleth smiled. "Yeah… he was."

Edelgard could tell Byleth was not smiling out of pure happiness. There was a bittersweet look Byleth gave, she missed him. That is when Edelgard pieced it together.

"They killed him didn't they."

"Excuse me?" Byleth turned to Edelgard

"Those that Slither, they killed your father. Am I correct?"

Byleth was silent with her mouth open ready to speak, only to shut and look away. "Yes… they killed him. That's why me and Leonie took this job."

"… You took this job out of revenge…"

"… I don't want to see anyone else suffer like I did, or to lose anyone else I care for. When they took him, me and Leonie were heartbroken. And it was not just my father they took, they killed half of our mercenary band as well. We were left broken and shattered, and a huge weight of reasonability was placed on me to lead our band when he was killed. I did not have the strength for it, so we left and to this day I don't where they are… He'd be disappointed if he could see me now."

Byleth hadn't realized it but, she had been crying while she spoke. Her tears streamed down her cheeks and dripped to the ground. Edelgard was not expecting this kind of reaction and she mentally kicked herself for provoking. So, she did what Byleth did for her, she hugged her. She held her tightly and Byleth, as if it were instinct, responded in hugging back while she cried.

Eventually, Byleth composed herself and Edelgard released her. "Are you going to be okay?" Edelgard asked.

"Yeah… thanks for… listening to me ramble."

"Well, you listened to me so, I owed you."

Edelgard wanted to confess right there and then that she had a crush on her, to let it all out. They both revealed so much to each other it seemed to be the perfect moment.

"Hey, Byleth."

"Yes?"

"I…" Edelgard tried her best but she suddenly stopped, her stomach felt like it was twisting. "Never mind." Edelgard's face was red and she was now looking away out of embarrassment. _You are such a coward._ Her inner voice said.

* * *

It was late at night and Felix and Annette sat in their bedroom in silence, Annette at the desk of the room writing a letter to Felix's father, Rodrigue. Felix meanwhile was sharping his sword on their bed. Neither felt like talking, both were still in shock over what had happened while they were gone. Annette's letter stated what they were currently doing at Garreg Mach and that once their mission here was complete they would make for House Fraldarius as soon as possible. Annette was sad that her adventure with Felix on the road was coming to an end, but it can't be helped. They had a responsibility to their noble homes, and they had been ignoring them for far too long. She soon finished the letter and sealed it in an envelope and left it on the desk.

"I'll send it tomorrow morning." She said. "He'll… probably be happy to see us again."

"Joy." Felix said blandly.

"They'll want us to get officially married as well to unit our Houses."

Felix sighed. "My old man will probably say Glenn died like a true noble."

"Maybe… but maybe with you being gone it opened his eyes a little."

"Don't get your hopes up, Annette." Felix looked at Annette. "My father may be kind, but he's stuck in this mindset of chivalry and he'll find a way to glorify it."

Right when Annette was about to speak there was a knock at their door. She said come in and Hilda entered.

"Do you guys have a minute?"

"Yeah sure, what is it?" Annette said.

"Marianne came back to our room after training and she seemed sad. I asked her what was wrong, but she did not say anything. Did something happen?"

"Felix?" Annette wanted to make sure it was alright to tell.

"It's fine." He said quietly.

"Felix's brother Glenn was killed by Those that Slither while we were gone."

"Oh… I see." Hilda faced the floor, she wasn't expecting that answer. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Unless you can reverse time, no," Felix said.

"It's okay Hilda, will be okay." said Annette.

"Alright, I will say this though, don't let this hold you down."

Felix looked up at Hilda. "What?"

"Me and my brother lost our parents a long time ago, and it hurt seeing them go. And… believe it or not, it was Those that Slither who did it. It hurt, but I didn't let it stop me. I mourned them, yes, and I'll never forget them, but I will never let it stop me from seeing my future."

Felix and Annette were in shock, it was very out of character for Hilda to say something like this, and to top it off her parents were lost to Those that Slither in the Dark as well. It seemed almost everyone was tied to these horrible people.

"Thank you for the advice Hilda, it means… it means a lot." Annette stopped herself from crying just in time.

Felix was silent for a moment but soon spoke. "Thanks."

Hilda smiled. "Anytime."


	10. Final Day of Peace

It had now been one month since the townsfolk had begun their training, in that one month they had improved on every form of combat that their 'teachers' could provide. From aiming properly to hit their mark, knife handling skills, to hand-to-hand combat that was sufficient. They were not experts, but they were certainly better than your average gun owner or knife wielder.

Edelgard was proud of the people of Garreg Mach, before they always relied on their sheriff Ferdinand to protect them, as well as the few gun owners there, were, Edelgard among them. They even had a weapon vault that held many weapons, but few wanted them for years. But now, they were a well-trained militia that was prepared for a fight. The townsfolk's confidence had improved as well. They were nervous and lacked urgency before but now, they were much more confident in their abilities and they knew what was at stake.

As the townsfolk did their daily training, Annette, Marianne, and Petra were walking down the main road that led to the densely packed forest.

"You sure you'll be alright?" Asked Marianne.

"I will be." Replied Petra. "I've done scouting before, I'll be gone for most of the day."

"That's alright, just remember if you see trouble come back as soon as possible." Said Annette.

"I'll be fine. Till then."

Petra then rode off into the forest and within seconds was concealed by the thick foliage of trees. Marianne and Annette then moved into the field and began walking up the steep hill outside of Garreg Mach. When they reached the top Annette began analyzing the hill. The reason she and Marianne were here was that they planned to place explosive mines down the steep hill as well as the field. The explosive mines were of her creation. They made sure to tell Seteth and to tell the townsfolk about the mines they were planting, that way no one accidentally walked onto one.

"Let's go in a triangle pattern, that way we know where to walk and will cover a fair amount of ground. Once we're done here will move over to the field in between the town and the forest." She said confidently. "What do you think?"

"I think that will work; I'm still amazed by these bombs you made."

Annette giggled. "Thanks, it took a lot of practice to make sure they worked."

Marianne frowned. "How… would you practice with these if you need to step on them?'

"I dropped rocks on them from a safe distance. Anyway," Annette pulled out a small shovel. "let's get to digging."

For the next hour, they planted the mines across the hill and field. Making sure to not walk over where they planted them. These mines were deadly, and Annette knew that the riders of Those that Slithered in the Dark would not expect them. Once they were done, they walked back into town to eat lunch. As they walked to the Ashen Wolf they came across Hubert who was walking in a brisk pass.

"You okay Hubert?" asked Annette.

Hubert ignored them and kept walking.

"I wonder what's bothering him?" said Marianne.

* * *

Shamir occupied her five students that were willing to learn how to use a rifle. Their shots had improved, and they could now all handle a rifle very well, unlike before where they aimed them dangerously in the air. She was proud of them and they would be decent fighters in the coming battle. Once their training was done, she sent them off and got ready for her next class. While she got ready, she could not help but feel as though she was being watched.

"You going to come out?" she asked.

Hubert then stepped out of the shadows and now stood before Shamir. "Hello."

"What's up, am I being suspicious again?" she said with a sly look.

"N-No… I wanted to confess something." Hubert said with a blush.

"Oh? Which is…"

"Remember back at the bar? You mentioned how you find me interesting. Well, I feel the same way. I have found you interesting since we met. At first, I thought it was me being paranoid since you were suspicious." Shamir grinned at that. "But I started to realize I had…" Hubert then spoke through gritted teeth. " _feelings_ for you… I just thought I should tell you."

Shamir pretended to think by putting her finger on her chin to mess with him. "Well, ain't this cute."

"If you do of feel the same, I'll-"

"I didn't say that." Shamir walked up to him and got right up to his face. "I've been watching you too, and I find you… _suspicious_." She said with a seductive tone.

Hubert's face was bright red, and he was sweating. "I see you feel the same."

Shamir chuckled. "Yeah, I do, but we really can't date during all this, especially with training and all."

"Right. How about this, after this fight, we will go on a proper date, get to know each other, more than just partners."

Shamir's smile widened. "I'd like that." She then raised her hand. "Deal?"

Hubert looked at her hand smiled; he then shook it firmly. "Deal."

* * *

After the lessons had ended, Byleth assisted the townsfolk with building makeshift barriers facing the forest and the hill. Seteth had agreed with Edelgard that building a defensive wall would help in defending the town. As well as putting sandbags on the balconies of the buildings for people to shoot from with cover. With all this going on, Byleth decided to help, and within just a few hours the town had built its defensive structures. They used wagons which would stop horses from charging in. They also took down some trees and sharped the ends to make spiked walls to hide behind.

Now, Byleth sat in her room alone at night once more, spinning around her father's dagger. She had been doing this for the past month at Garreg Mach now, each night she thought back to when she, Leonie, and her father fought off villains, saved towns, and gave to the poor. Those days were gone, and it still hurt her.

Even now, she remembered what he said; _Listen, kid, no matter what happens to me, no matter where I go, I will always love you and Leonie. But don't tell the boys that okay? Hahaha!_

Byleth chuckled at the happy memory, she always remembered those words of his. She wondered if the Goddess let him into her heavenly warmth, that way he could watch over her and Leonie. But her smile quickly faded as she realized if he were to watch it also meant he saw her abandon their mercenary band and took to the life of bounty hunting. Leaving their band in shambles and never looking back. Byleth broke down in tears, she felt he would be ashamed of what she did, how would he love her now? Byleth's crying was so loud that she barely noticed the knocks on the door nor the door opening.

"Byleth?"

Byleth looked up with tears in her eyes. It was Edelgard. "Hey," Byleth said as she wiped away her tears off her eyes and cheeks.

"I heard you crying. Were you thinking of him again?"

"… Yeah, I'll be okay."

"No," Edelgard said firmly as she shut the door and sat next to Byleth. "You need to get more off your chest, so tell me. What is it?"

Byleth smiled a little, it was comforting to see Edelgard care for her. "Okay, I'll tell you. Back when I told you about what Those that Slithered did, I mentioned how they killed my father and some members of my mercenary band. But I didn't tell you how it happened."

Byleth looked away as she spoke while Edelgard listened carefully.

"We were traveling around Leicester, looking for work. That was when a red-headed girl appeared and said her family was being robbed by bandits. She said her name was Monica, and she needed our help. So, we followed her, and she led us into an open field. She said her family was just across the field and there would be a house. But right when we got into the field we were attacked. We were too nice and we blindly agreed to help a girl we just met. Do you by chance know this girl?'

"Monica… You said she had red hair?"

"Yes, although, during the battle, she tore it off and it turned out to be a wig. Her hair was a pale orange."

"Her name isn't Monica, its Kronya. She is one of my uncle's right-hand members of Those that Slither. She's cruel and vile to the heart."

"She killed my father," Byleth said soberly.

"…Oh." Edelgard looked away.

"My father engaged with her with his spear, they only fought for a few seconds before she pulled out a revolver and shot him. I tried to go after her, but she was running off after the rest of her squad was fleeing. And now here I am, alive… and I still haven't avenged him or bother to lead his mercenary band."

"Hey, it's okay."

"And to top it off," Byleth was now slightly sobbing as she spoke. "I haven't even talked to Leonie about all that much, only once. And that was when we got here. I'm such a horrible person."

"Hey!" Edelgard then grabbed Byleth by the shoulders "You are not a horrible person; you feel guilty right?"

Byleth nodded.

"That's a sign that you care. That you feel something for both Leonie and your mercenary band. And that you wish you could go find them again, right?'

Again, Byleth nodded.

"When this is all over, talk to Leonie more, go out and find your band of mercenaries, and if you want… I will help too. You are not a bad person Byleth, you are here helping Garreg Mach and defending innocent lives if you were bad you would have been a coward and left. Your good, and I- we, are grateful for it."

Edelgard let go of Byleth's shoulders while Byleth thought over what she said. "Thank you, that's the second time you've comforted me. Now I owe you." Byleth said with a smile.

"Well, there's one way to pay me back," Edelgard said with a blush.

Byleth chuckled. "What's that?"

Edelgard had no idea what came over her, she had no clue if the Goddess had given her a sudden urge of courage or stupidity. She was not sure if this sudden urge was appropriate or indecent. Deep down it was a mix of lust and more importantly love that overtook her, this woman had only been in her life for such a short time, and yet she felt so connected to her. She had to make a move, she knew death was a possibility in the coming battle and felt this was her chance. If she didn't try now, she might not get another chance.

Edelgard kissed Byleth.

It was short and yet it was the sweetest experience she ever felt, Byleth's lips were so soft and warm. She wanted nothing more than to keep kissing her and give her as much passion as possible, to keep giving her all the love she felt for her. She stopped and was rewarded with a wide-eyed and confused Byleth. Edelgard panicked.

"Oh Goddess, I'm so sorry I shouldn't have-"

Edelgard was stopped by Byleth who returned the kiss. This time they took it much slower, enjoying the feeling of each other's lips more and both breathing slowly. Soon Byleth teased with her tongue, Edelgard of course gave in which allowed Byleth to have her tongue in her mouth. Both their tongues danced in their mouths and fought for dominance, all of this became too much for Edelgard and she gave in to moaning. She felt so embarrassed she ended the kiss.

"Sorry, that was… inappropriate."

"It's fine if anything," Byleth whispered into Edelgard's ear. "I liked it when you moaned."

Edelgard was now redder than ever. She tried to speak but her words failed her, and mere mumbles came out. Byleth then went for another kiss, while also brought her hands around Edelgard's waist. As she kissed her, she slowly made Edelgard move on top of her, having her arms pressed on the pillow above Byleth's head.

"Are we really… you know…" Edelgard said as she panted and kissed Byleth across her neck.

"Yes." Byleth moaned. "I've seen the way you've looked at me since we met."

Edelgard stopped kissing and looked at Byleth. "You saw all that? Oh, I'm so sorry I-"

"It's okay, now shut up and kiss me."

Edelgard finally gave in a stopped seconded guess herself and continued to kiss Byleth. Edelgard had been wanting this for a while, and now it was real. Edelgard, the former princess of the Adrestian Empire had finally found love in her life, something she thought she would never find. Edelgard continued to kiss Byleth while her hands roamed her body, taking her time with each part. She soon got to her shirt which was unbuttoning it. But right before she could finish there was a knock on the door.

"Lady Edelgard!" it was Hubert.

The two girls glanced at the door and quickly sat upright on the bed as Hubert burst through the door.

"It's Petra. She has news."

Edelgard and Byleth quickly did their clothes back up, hoping Hubert did not notice. But given that he was preceptive, it was unlikely. They ran downstairs into the lobby of the hotel they were in, everyone was there, including Seteth. They all had worried looks on their faces.

"What is the news you bring?" asked Edelgard.

Petra stood by the doorway, her face was blank and serious. It was clear that whatever she had it was not good. "It's Those that Slither, they're on their way. They'll be attacking us within a few hours."

"They won't," said Edelgard. Everyone turned to her. "I know them well, they'll camp away from the town and strike at dawn. Their horses and troops will be tired from the journey, they'll rest for the night and strike at dawn."

"You sure about that?" asked Shamir.

Edelgard turned to her. "I'm certain."

"If that's the case I'll alert the townsfolk, that way they wake early tomorrow." Said Seteth as he left the building.

"So… the fight is almost here." Said Annette. She looked scared but her look of fear vanished as Felix wrapped his arm around her.

"Well, no more training I guess." Said Hilda.

"No more indeed, we at the very least got a month worth of training out of the townsfolk." Said, Hubert.

"If that's the case then we should all get a good night's sleep. We all remember our battle plan?" asked Byleth.

"Have our forces face the forest as well as the hill, fire off and break their numbers, and if they get close engage in melee combat." Said Felix.

"And we have townsfolk on the balconies to shoot down anyone that breaks through our ranks and enters the town," said Marianne.

"Good were all ready." Said Edelgard.

"I'll see you ya'll in the morning, I'm going to speak with Seteth real quick, good night." Right before Byleth left the building she looked back at Edelgard and smiled. She smiled back. The rest of the group went back to their rooms while Byleth looked for Seteth.

She followed the main road of the town and soon came to the church. She saw multiple people entering the church and leaving the church. When she entered she saw Seteth sitting on one of the benches praying as well as townsfolk praying.

"I'm guessing they all know?" asked Byleth.

Seteth turned to her. "Yes, they are aware, and word is spreading. I and many others are just saying some prayers."

Byleth listen to what people were saying, the most common prayer she heard was;

_Oh, Goddess Sothis,_

_please bring hope into our hearts,_

_please bring strength into our souls,_

_please watch over the coming battle.,_

_And if we fall,_

_may we be worthy to_

_be with our friends and family._

Seteth noticed Byleth listening. "It's a famous verse from the Book of Sothis. When the Goddess graced this land her knights that served her said these words before every battle to protect the land from evil." Seteth then got up and walked out with Byleth, passing by others who went to pray.

"Interesting."

Seteth chuckled. "I can tell you don't entirely believe it."

"Well, I do but, I’m also skeptical."

"I take no offense, I'm of the philosophy that even those who don't believe get to go to Heaven so long as they're good."

"If you don't mind me asking, when was this town founded?"

Seteth looked up at the stars as they walked. "A woman by the name of Seiros, she founded the town years ago. She sought to create a place where people could change for the better and be a place of peace and rehabilitation."

"Where is she now?"

"She wanted to retire in secret under a new name. So, she gave control to other priests and priestesses to pass down over the years, with me being the one now leading. She left with her bodyguard Catherine and went to who knows where."

"Huh." Byleth looked back at the church, seeing the people praying, then back to Seteth. "Not all of them will make it."

Seteth looked back at the church. "I know, it still scares me."

"I won't let this town fall," Byleth said firmly.

Seteth looked at her with a smile. "And I thank you for that."

* * *

The sun rose over the town as six o'clock came. The group as well as the townsfolk were preparing their weapons and setting up in their positions. Many were on the balconies of the building for when their foes entered the town. Many were by the barrier created out of wagons and logs sharped to create wooden spiked walls facing the forest and hill where Those that Slither in the Dark would strike.

Each of the group of ten had different positions throughout the town. Byleth, Edelgard, Hubert, Hilda, and Felix were facing the hill behind the wall. Each of them ready with guns and ready for when they engage in close-quarter combat. The townsfolk with them were armed as well, most carrying winchester rifles and revolvers. For when enemies got up close, they were all armed with knives and the hand-to-hand combat Hilda and Felix taught them.

Annette, Leonie, and Petra were by the barrier facing the forest. Annette had her revolver ready but also had a belt with bombs slung over her shoulder. Leonie had her winchester rifle and spear on her back in case they got close. Petra had her bow with an arrow nocked, as well as a quiver of arrows ready.

Shamir was hidden on the bell tower of the church, armed with her trusty sniper rifle. She had a clear view of the field from the forest as well as the hill. She had a knife on her belt but doubted she would need it given her position.

As for Marianne, she was tasked with guarding the town's children in the infirmary with Flayn. They were hidden in the infirmary's hidden basement while Flayn and Marianne were armed with small revolvers. They stood by opened windows, ready to fire at anyone who dared to come close to the infirmary.

The sun continued to rise and bask the town in a beautiful reddish-orange light. It would have normally been apparated by everyone if not for the approaching army. Soon that army was seen. Atop the hill, they could be seen. Across the entire hilltop, black horses stood atop the hill, with blackly dressed figures riding them. Each of them was armed with revolvers and knives. From Garreg Mach every could hear their cackled laughter as they stood ready. At the center of the hill stood three riders that stood out. One on the right was at least seven feet tall, and with the added height of his horse, he looked as though he was a giant. He wore a large, black circle hat with a long black feather attached to it. His clothing was black leather and he carried dual revolvers. His skin pale just as much as the rest of his fellow riders. The rider in the middle wore a black cape and a black suit. He was finely dressed, and it seemed he was going to be standing by rather than fighting. His white hair and pale skin stuck out from his black atria, he also had a wicked grin as he looked over the town. And on the left was a short woman with pale orange hair and dressed in only a cloak and short shirt which exposed most of her pale skin. She too carried a grin and was even licking her lips in anticipation.

From the barrier, Edelgard and Byleth took notice of the three individuals. "Is that him in the middle?" asked Byleth.

"Yes, my uncle, Thales is his real name." Said Edelgard. "And the woman on the left…"

"Yeah… Kronya…. I don't suppose Shamir could use her sniper rifle to kill them now?"

Edelgard shook her head. "I already asked, she said her rifle can only go so far before the bullet drops. Figures."

While Those that Slithered in the Dark readied themselves on the hill, in the forest a small squad hid behind the dense forest growth. Their objective was to strike while most of the town focused on the hill. Annette and Leonie could not see any of them. Petra, however, was able to pick up on the slightest movements made. Her time hunting had done her well.

"They're hiding." She spoke. "They will be waiting for the right time."

Atop the hill, Thales looked over Garreg Mach. He had been planning this for the past year. His first attempt was pitiful since he underestimated those protecting it. But now, he had an army and with the bonus of his niece being here. He smiled. "My niece will regret the day she came out of hiding." He turned to his left. "What do you make of this Cleobulus?"

The man Thales addressed looked over the town and its defenses. "This will be easy." He said softly.

"Good to see your confidence. What do you think Kronya?"

Kronya giggled. "I can't wait to burn this town."

"Easy, we want to control this town, not destroy it."

Thales then looked over his army and smiled. _Today, this town will be mine._ He thought. "Troops!" he shouted. "Ready!" he raised his hand then pointed forward. "CHARGE!"

The army of Those that Slither in the Dark charged forward on their black horses. Kronya and Cleobulus charged as well, Kronya pulling out her revolver and ready to fire while she cheered with joy. All the while Cleobulus remained calm as he charged.

"EVERYONE!" shouted Edelgard. "FIRE!"

The battle for Garreg Mach had begun.


	11. The Battle of Garreg Mach Part 1

Every revolver and winchester behind the barrier facing the hill fired at the very moment Edelgard shouted "FIRE!" Every gun fired off loudly launching a bullet toward its foe. Several bullets hit their mark, nocking some riders off their horses while others had their horses hit, causing them to trample.

Bullets were not the only things that hurt the riders. The mines that Annette and Marianne planted were put to good use, multiple riders' horses stepped on them causing a small explosion. Even riders right beside them were caught off guard by it, causing some to trample. Thales was a bit shocked at what was happening but soon reasoned that once the first wave was over the field the rest of his forces would be fine. His troops were mere pawns in his eyes.

Byleth and the rest of her group kept up their barrage of bullets on the enemy. She made sure to hit every target perfectly with her dual revolvers since she knew she only had s much ammo. Edelgard looked for large clusters of riders since her revolver was made for spread damage. Hubert, Hilda, and Felix were more suited to close quarter combat, so their shots with the revolvers they carried were not as precise as Byleth. The townsfolk were doing well too. Their shots seemed to be hitting their mark well enough and they even noticed that if they hit the horses it would not only trample the rider but also trample those behind them. This domino effect was working great and with the bonus of the mines, it only served to cause more chaos.

Cleobulus was caught off guard by the mines, but he quickly noticed the pattern Annette and Marianne made with them. He took note of his fellow troops that stepped on them and saw a way around them. He rode toward the left side of the field and continued his ride toward the barrier. He would ride one way and then another to avoid the mines that were not already set off. Not only that, but the riders that rode in front had set most of them off, which only aided him in his charge toward the town. Kronya took note of Cleobulus's movements and she did the same, although, her riding skills were nowhere near as good as Cleobulus. She was clumsy and she kept only one hand on her reins while the other held her revolver. She almost came close to hitting a mine but quickly shoved a fellow troop to avoid it, causing that troop to shove into another who fell off his horse and fall face-first onto a mine, sending him flying.

Quickly the riders had stepped on every mine and there was now less trampling among them and would be upon the barrier soon. The townsfolk were forced to reload at points during the chaos which meant not as many riders were going down. That and the riders were firing as they rode toward them, causing some of them to get hit or killed.

Cleobulus continued his charge toward the barrier and saw an opening in between the spiked walls. He carefully raised himself on his horse and readied himself to jump. As he readied himself his horse was shot dead and it seemed he was going to crash. However, Cleobulus used the movement of his dead horse as leverage to propel him over the barrier. He just barely skimmed the spike and was no over the barrier.

Now that Cleobulus was over the barrier, he pulled out one of his revolvers and started his slaughter. He saw a man firing a winchester and shot his head. A man tried to stab him with a knife but he easily grabbed the man's neck and snapped it instantly. A woman charged him with her knife, but he punched her face, breaking her nose, and then shoved his knee into her gut and then shot her in the chest. While he did that, more riders were now up against the barrier, looking for openings to crawl or jump through. The townsfolk were now being overrun by the assault as multiple riders climbed over or crawled under neither the spike barrier. Some even jumped off their horses over the barrier.

The townsfolk were now in close-quarter combat.

Byleth put one revolver away while she held her other, that way she still had a ranged weapon and a hand to stop melee attacks. One attacker swung his knife at her, but she grabbed it mid-swing and shot his head off easily. Another was a woman who jumped at her, but Byleth shot her mid-air sending her back down on the ground. One however pulled their arm around her neck in an attempt to choke her, but right before they could grab her arm she aimed at their head and shattered it to pieces. Edelgard during the combat had to be careful when using her gun at this range since it spread its bullets, which could potentially kill a town member. So, she used it sparingly and used her fists instead, even shoving one opponent into a spike.

Hubert during all this wielded two knives, he made quick work of each enemy he encountered, stabbing their chests, slicing their throats, and even getting a few stabs in their eyes. All the while Hubert said things like, "Worthless", "Pathetic" with each kill. One tried to fire their revolver on him, but he was so frightened by Hubert that he fumbled with it and dropped it. Hubert easily rushed him and stabbed his heart, and then said. "You could have at least tried." They were the last words the man heard before death.

Hilda had her battle ax out and not one foe wanted to engage her, making it so Hilda had to chase after them. A few were even running right past the skirmish and running into town just to avoid her. Her ax cut off limbs easily and with her added strength she could swing it as if it were light as a feather. Felix was also quick with his sword as he fought, he knew it was bad that the enemy was breaching their barrier, but he was also glad to be in his element. His sword was like a hot knife to butter, he cut foes effortlessly and made short work of each. He then heard a woman cry out in pain and turned toward it. A man had punched a woman and brought her up in the air, to then bring her down to his knee breaking her spine.

It was Cleobulus.

Felix charged at the man with his sword, Cleobulus took notice and readied himself. He raised his revolver, but Felix swung at the barrel, cutting it in half and making it useless. Felix then swung again but missed as Cleobulus jumped back to avoid it. Felix swung again, but this time Cleobulus both dodged the strike but also moved forward and shoving Felix, knocking him back. Felix retaliated by thrusting his sword. Cleobulus just barely dodged it, the blade cutting his right cheek slightly. Cleobulus took advantage of the opening and punched Felix's gut. Felix could now barely breathe and Cleobulus then grabbed him by the shoulders and started swinging him in a circle. Once he had enough momentum he let go of Felix and sent him through a window into a nearby building.

Cleobulus then raised his arm high and yelled. "Everyone, into the town!"

Every member of Those that Slither in the Dark that was over the barrier was now charging into the town square, completely ignoring the remaining townsfolk that was still fighting them.

"Follow them!" yelled Edelgard.

The remaining townsfolk charged after the enemy who was rushing into the town. As Byleth, Edelgard, Hubert, Hilda, and the townsfolk followed, Kronya and the rest of the riders were finding ways under the barrier. Only adding to the number of enemies entering the town.

The barrier had failed.

* * *

As Those that Slither in the Dark entered the town square, Annette, Leonie, and Petra, were still waiting for the enemy troops in the forest to charge. When the onslaught began in the town square, they all turned and saw many of Those that Slither in the Dark running around and firing off at buildings. The people in the town were on baloneys and hiding behind windows in their buildings, firing off at Those that Slither in the Dark. The enemy troops continued their charge regardless, some even breaking into some buildings and attacks the townsfolk inside.

The townsfolk from the other barrier were now charging at the enemy troops which resulted in a clash of knives and fists in the town square and the town's main road. Because of the mess of bodies, it was difficult for the townsfolk on the balcony to shoot since they don't want to kill any of their own. Right as the melee combat broke out, the squad of troops hiding in the trees charged. The three girls, as well as the townsfolk with them, now looked at them as they charged. As they looked multiple enemies were approaching from behind them. The girls and some of the townsfolk took notice.

"Do we fire or do we help in the town square?" asked a man to Petra.

"No, all of you shoot down the advancing squad, I'll deal with the ones behind us." Petra nocked an arrow and began defending. Within a quick session, she shot two arrows. Each hitting their mark and killing the men that were charging.

Meanwhile, Annette and Leonie were firing off at the incoming troops. Who were also falling victim to the mines Annette and Marianne planted. However, within just a few minutes most of the mines had been triggered and now the remaining troops continued their charge. Leonie and Annette took a good look at how many remained, it seemed as though there were roughly thirty-two left charging. Both Leonie, Annette, and the townsfolk fired off their guns, taking them down as fast as possible. At one point three troops were starting to get close. So, Annette brought out one of the bombs on her shoulder belt and lit it with a match. She threw the bomb and in two seconds it blew up. Sending the troops flying.

The charging troops were firing as well. Annette and Leonie got lucky as they continued their assault of bullets, but two townsfolks were shot and died instantly. Once Petra had dealt with the remaining foes, she turned to see how many were left charging. Twenty-two left. She nocked another arrow and released it within seconds, hitting her target directly into his head. She continued her hail of arrows and in a quick session There were only nine left. Leonie fired her winchester and shot two more. Seven left. Petra fired two more arrows. Five left. Annette then took out another bomb and lit it. She threw it and the bomb land right in the middle of the remaining troops. It went off and killed them instantly.

The squad had failed their advance.

"Come on!" said Leonie. "We need to help the people in the town square!"


	12. The Battle of Garreg Mach Part 2

Hilda was sweating beyond belief.

There were men and women all around her, each in combat with Those that Slither in the Dark. It had been a while since Hilda had been in a large-scale battle like this. Thankfully, her skills had not dulled. One man armed with a knife charged at her, but she quickly chopped his hand off and then easily swung her axe into his skull. Another was about to shoot at her from point-blank range with her revolver. But Hilda was quick and brought out her hand axe and threw it. It lunged right into the woman's eye, but not far enough to kill. She dropped her revolver and screamed in pain, Hilda ran up to her and struck her with her axe across her chest, leaving her to bleed to death. She pulled out her hand axe and surveyed the area around her.

Some of the townsfolk and Those that Slither in the Dark were starting to take cover behind buildings on opposite sides of the town. However, most were still in close-quarters combat. Hilda was so caught up with analyzing the battle she failed to notice an enemy charging at her from behind. Once she turned around, she gasped in surprise and was about to get stabbed by the man charging.

However, the man charging was suddenly shot in the head, with the bullet entering from behind and exiting his eye. Hilda looked from where the bullet came from, it was Shamir. Hilda was very thankful for her precise aim. Among the chaos, Hilda took note of a particular enemy. He was killing every townsfolk he came across. Eventually, he stopped and seemed to be eyeing up the infirmary. He moved past multiple people and was now beside the building. He even seemed to be getting ready to break through the window.

It was Cleobulus.

"Marianne…" Hilda said to herself. She then started running toward the infirmary, hoping she could make it in time.

* * *

Marianne and Flayn during the onslaught had stayed inside the infirmary firing off their small revolvers at any enemy that was not blocked by townsfolk. For the most part, their gunshots went unnoticed and they remained safe. Add that with the fact that there was a balcony above with people shooting, it made the infirmary relatively safe. Marianne fired off her six rounds and started reloading.

As Flayn fired off her revolver, Marianne caught a glimpse of someone by the window Flayn was nearby. "Flayn!" she cried.

The window Flayn was near suddenly shattered as a hand grabbed Flayn by her throat as she screamed in fear. Cleobulus rushed through while holding Flayn. Once he was in, he threw her against the wall behind the desk in the waiting room, knocking her unconscious. He then turned to Marianne and began walking up to her. Marianne's hands were shaking out of fear and tried her best to reload her small revolver. Cleobulus then grabbed her by her throat and lifted her up from the floor. Marianne dropped her revolver and tried to claw at his hand, desperately attempting to loosen his grip as she was losing her breathe and losing consciousness. She did not think this was how it would end, she thought she would pass away beside Hilda. In their cottage, in bed, cuddled next to a warm fire. Not like this, not by a brute with no remorse. She eventually stopped trying to loosen his grasp and gave in as her world started going dark.

Right before Cleobulus could snap her neck he heard a woman scream at him as she entered the infirmary, it was Hilda.

She swung her axe at him in a downward arc in an attempt to pierce his skull. He grabbed it right before it could be lethal and ripped the axe out of Hilda's grasp. He dropped Marianne since Hilda was more of a threat, causing Marianne to be brought back from being unconscious. Causing her to cough as she tried to catch her breath again. Hilda held her hand axe firmly and swung multiple times at him, trying to slash at his chest. While doing so she cut a piece of Cleobulus's hat off. Each attack he dodged easily, essential since she seemed driven by anger. Unbeknown to Cleobulus, Hilda and Marianne were wives. And he almost killed Marianne, which was more than enough to drive Hilda's anger.

When Hilda missed another swing, he took advantage and punched her face, now that Hilda was dazed, he rammed her out the door and they were now both outside the infirmary. As their fight continued, Felix from across the street, burst out of the front door of the building he was swung into. He had pieces of glass in his hair and clothes from the window he went through. Multiple cuts across his face as well. He looked around the battle and saw Hilda fighting Cleobulus. He then began running toward them so he could intervene and get back at Cleobulus for tossing him through a window. A few enemy troops tried to stop his charge, but he easily cut them down within seconds and moved on. When he got close, he slashed at Cleobulus's back, creating a deep gash across his back.

Cleobulus roared in pain and turned toward Felix. Felix thrust his blade but Cleobulus dodged it and brought out his other revolver and aim it at Felix. Right before he could fire, Hilda brought her hand axe down at his wrist. Slicing his hand off and causing it to gush blood. Cleobulus merely groaned in pain and elbowed Hilda's face knocking her down. He then continued his fight with Felix, throwing punches with now his only hand, while using his elbow to block Felix's multiple sword strikes. He could care less if his right arm were taking cuts and bleeding, He wanted Felix dead for destroying one of his revolvers and he saw Felix as a nuisance. His constant attack was causing Felix to back up, and Cleobulus was becoming more aggressive and did not seem as though he was going to stop. Cleobulus got so caught up in his anger that he gave Felix an opening that he noticed. Felix thrust his blade and had his sword enter Cleobulus's gut. The man coughed up blood at the sudden impalement, and yet he was not giving in. Before Felix could pull out his sword, Cleobulus lifted his right leg and strike at Felix's left knee, shattering the kneecap and twisting the leg.

Felix screamed in anger and pain and dropped to the ground, grasping at his knee. Cleobulus grabbed the sword he pulled it out, he grunted at the pain but not even seeming to react. He raised the blade and readied the weapon to be used on Felix. Felix looked up and saw what was going to happen and by his own sword no less. But right before Cleobulus could strike, a sudden loud _THWAK_ could be heard from behind him. Cleobulus eyes went wide and he dropped Felix's sword. He then fell face-first into the dirt road and Felix saw Hilda's hand axe in betted into his spine. Hilda stood from the infirmary and nodded to Felix, he nodded back as a way of saying thanks.

Hilda ran out and dragged Felix back to the infirmary and put him up against the wall inside the building. Flayn had woken up and grabbed bandages and cast to wrap Felix's broken knee in. Since Felix was being taken care of by Flayn, Hilda went over to Marianne.

"Are you okay?" she asked as she knelt and hugged her.

"I'll be okay." Marianne smiled as she hugged Hilda back. She was glad she can live another day to be in her arms. "I'll help Flayn fix Felix, go help the others."

"Right."

Hilda grabbed her battle axe and rushed out into the battle.

* * *

Edelgard and Byleth were back-to-back as the battle continued. Each taking shots when they could while engaging in combat when an enemy dared to oppose them. Edelgard was blowing heads off (literally) every time one would get too close, or she would pistol-whip her large revolver. Knocking them out cold while also cracking their skulls. As for Byleth, she was only using one revolver while using her other hand's fist when enemies thought they could stab her with their knives.

"This is getting ugly." Said Edelgard. She took note of how one side of the town the enemy was occupying the buildings. Using them as a cover or even storming inside and using the balcony to fire at the townsfolk across from them. "They've taken the eastern side of the town's buildings."

"Then we should use the other side." Said Byleth. "Everyone! To the west side!" Byleth called out. Most of the townsfolk understood her immediately and began running to the western side of town. A few foes tried to follow but were quickly gunned down. Edelgard and Byleth were about to run back when they suddenly heard-

"Oh, look who it is."

They both turned to see who spoke. It was Kronya.

"You…" said Byleth angrily. 


	13. The Battle of Garreg Mach Part 3

Bullets flew across the main road of Garreg Mach as the townsfolk and Those that Slither in the Dark took up cover on opposing sides of the town. The townsfolk had the western side while the Those that Slither had the eastern side. There were still a few battling in close combat on the road, but most were now in ranged combat. The training the townsfolk went through had paid off; their aim was much better as a posed to when they first started. They were not gunslingers like Byleth but were suitable enough to kill the enemies that were invading their homes. Those that Slither was trained too though; they had been practicing their shots for years knew how to aim more efficiently. Thankfully, the building provided great cover for the townsfolk.

Despite all this violence, it went unnoticed to Byleth.

The moment she saw Kronya, everything stopped. A fit of sudden anger-fueled inside her, she felt nothing else. Kronya's smug smirk only added to this. This woman was the reason her father was dead, the reason she left her mercenary band, and why she felt this need for revenge.

"It's been what, five years?" Kronya asked sarcastically.

"About so," Byleth said bitterly.

"I see you even met an old friend of mine." Kronya smiled at Edelgard.

"We were never friends." Said Edelgard.

"Oh, I know." Kronya started twirling with her dagger. "Who would have thought that Edelgard, heir to the country of Aderstia would be in a dirt hole like this."

"This _dirt hole_ is better than a cage." Edelgard said angrily.

Kronya rolled her eyes at Edelgard's remark. She then turned her attention back to Byleth. "You remember this dagger?"

Byleth glared at her.

"Oh, you do. The one I used to stab your father's heart. And now," Kronya gripped the dagger. "I'll get to use it on you."

Byleth quickly brought out her revolver and fired at Kronya. However, Kronya anticipated this and easily dodge the bullet by rolling across the ground toward Byleth. Once up close she grabbed and tugged away from her revolver and tossed it. She then attempted to slash at Byleth multiple times, Byleth avoided most of the attacks but Kronya still managed to cut across Byleth's right cheek. Edelgard saw the attack and raised her large revolver at Kronya. Kronya took notice and right when Edelgard fired, she kicked the revolver, causing Edelgard to fire off in the air. Kronya then took the opportunity to strike Edelgard across the head causing her to be dazed. Kronya was about to stab Edelgard's head when Byleth suddenly jumped on her back, choking her from behind. Edelgard fell back on the ground while Kronya flailed around, trying her best to get Byleth off. Byleth was making a good effort in choking Kronya, her strength was fooled by her rage and anger and she wants to make sure it would hurt.

However, due to her blinded lust for revenge, she failed to notice that Kronya still held the dagger. Which Kronya used by stabbing Byleth's left hand. Byleth screamed in pain as the dagger pierced through her flesh and bone. Kronya took the opportunity and grabbed Byleth and flung her toward Edelgard who was getting up. Both were tangled in each other but quickly got their bearings. But before either of them got up, Kronya pulled out her revolver and aim it at them.

"Your both so weak." She said with laughter. "To think, Thales was worried about this attack going poorly."

* * *

Not far off behind a building, Leonie was firing off her winchester at enemies that had taken over the balconies of the opposite side of Garreg Mach. She had been doing this for the majority of the battle and was running low on ammo. After firing off the last bullet she had, she suddenly caught it, Byleth and Edelgard down on the ground with Kronya laughing and aiming her revolver at them.

Leonie knew she had to intervene, and quick. She brought out her spear and began charging toward Kronya. And since bullets were firing off, Kronya would not be able to hear her coming. Leonie ran faster than she ever had in her life, her sister from another mother was about to die, she would be damned if she let that happen.

Right, when was in range she screamed with fury and thrust her spear at Kronya. Kronya heard the scream and turned. She was quick enough to not get impaled, but Leonie still managed to cut Kronya across her stomach.

"Oh look, it's the other one," Kronya said with a giggle.

"Stay away from her! I won't let you take anyone else from me!" Leonie yelled.

"Then allow me," Kronya said as she easily dodged Leonie's thrusts. "to make it so you never lose anyone ever again!"

Kronya fired her revolver at point-blank range, piercing Leonie right through her chest. Kronya could have shot her immediately but chose to toy with her, to make her angry. Kronya laughed as Leonie fell to the ground, clutching her chest as she bled to death.

"LEONIE!" yelled Byleth.

Kronya heard her and turned and aimed her revolver. "Time to die you little-"

Before Kronya could fire, Byleth had pulled out her other revolver within half a second. Firing it off and perfectly hit Kronya's hand that held the gun. Kronya screamed in pain as her two fingers were blown off and clutched it.

"You bitch! I'll- "

Kronya was cut off as Byleth fired off her five remaining shots. She showed no remorse or sympathy as she fired. The first one hit Kronya's left shoulder, the second her chest, the third the neck, the fourth her stomach, and the fifth and final shot she held for only a few seconds as she pointed the gun under Kronya's chin. Kronya was bleeding all over and was barely standing, her final site before death was Byleth's rage-induced face, filled with nothing but hate and anger.

"Rot in hell," Byleth said through gritted teeth.

Byleth fired off her last bullet. The bullet pierced up from Kronya's chin and up her skull. The exit hole had pieces of blood, brain, and skull shattered into the air and soon fell to the ground with Kronya's corpse.

Byleth put her revolver away and ran over to Leonie. Edelgard soon ran over and helped carry her behind a building. Byleth began putting pressure on the wound to stop the bleeding while Edelgard ripped Leonie's shirt to use it as a makeshift bandage until they get to the infirmary.

"You're going to be okay." Said Byleth. "I said we'd get through this together, remember?'

"Byleth…" Leonie said weakly.

"Don't speak, save your energy. We need to get you to the infirmary so- "

Leonie grabbed Byleth's hand and squeezed it. "It's… okay…"

Byleth went silent.

"I see him… I will be okay if… I'm with him…"

"NO! You can't go!" Byleth was now sobbing, shoving her face into Leonie's neck, and hugging her closely. "Not yet."

Byleth continued to hug Leonie who had gone silent as the life in her eyes faded. Her grip on Byleth's hand loosened and fell. Byleth was smart enough to know that Leonie was dead. But at the moment, she could not let go of her. As she hugged her, Edelgard sat in silence, she liked Leonie and knew she was close with Byleth. They were sisters from different mothers and Jeralt raised them both on his own. And now the same evil woman had taken another person from her, a piece of her life was now gone, and it was never coming back.

Despite all the gunshots firing off, the only sound Edelgard heard was Byleth sobbing.

* * *

Atop the hill, Thales looked over the battle, his troops were firing off from the buildings and it seemed they were not making any progress. Thales was getting sick of waiting and wanted to end this.

He then turned toward one of his fellow men and said, "Get the Gatling gun."


End file.
